HAPPY NEW WEEK!
I hope everyone has a wonderful spring week! I chose this photo for the week for a reason. The last time I went to town for groceries and supplies, I stopped to take some items to my relative who broke her hip. I arrived home very late. I was unloading the car in the darkness, barely able to see with a torch (flashlight), and suddenly I heard a booming loud call, "Who cooks for you! Who cooks for you all!" That's the call of a Barred Owl! The sound was coming from a tall tree on my creek levee.I was just about finished getting everything inside, when the bird called again. This time, he made his "monkey call." Barred Owls can make a wild series of calls that sound just like a big, loud primate. Seriously. Many years ago, we had a Barred Owl pair nesting on this patch, and my Mom swore we had a Bigfoot living in the woods! I was so happy to hear the big owl, and I hope he stays!Barred Owl (Strix varia)U.S. National Park ServicePhoto labeled Public Domain (Copyright Free)
Lindy - thank you for the lovely photographs. Not an area I know at all, but makes me want to investigate it. I particularly liked the 'moody' cloudscapes.
AQ - Welcome home. Hope the sore throat doesn't develop into anything else. Look forward to pictures as and when.
Temperatures here set to soar to the mid to upper 20s - I will celebrate by playing bowls this afternoon, when I will probably get sun-stroke! Then golf tomorrow, which will probably be the last day of this mini-summer ...
Enjoy your day, everyone.
Well worth a visit, Pat. Lots to see, lovely views all around, beautiful mountains and coastline, and that's not the only castle in the area! We find that it's all practically unchanged from when we used to visit as children, over 50 years ago!
Enjoy your bowls and the weather. I was saying to my OH only this morning that sometimes this is all the summer we get, a few good days in May :-(
OG - I really hope that your daughter and new s.i.l. are honeymooning somewhere sunny in the UK - if so, they're very lucky!
OH doing little tidying jobs this morning - will have main meal lunchtime and then work at front lawns in the afternoon. I have prepped veg ready for him to cook. J appeared during our breakfast, said it looks like a gardening day, had his shower and then went out; wondering whether he will join in later? (He will return to eat, of course!) We took a few garden photos in the morning sunshine. Too big to upload - will edit later.
Meanwhile, one of Miriam - growing up too fast.
Ospreys Rule OK, but Goldfinches come a close second!
Goodness, OG. Doesn't seem like five minutes since she was a baby. Lovely happy picture.
I've come back on as I'm in the way whilst my OH trims and cuts the edges of the lawn. First big cut of the edges, this year.
Here are some more pictures of mine:
Our Stellata has never been so beautiful: it was covered in blooms this year, and the smell in the evenings is heavenly. The tree in the picture is our ancient and poorly plum tree, which is still growing at the top and was covered in blossom once again, so we can still expect plums, as long as there isn't a bad storm in which case, I think the whole tree will fall down...
The Fritillaries have never been so big, either. Maybe they liked all that spring rain!
Close up study of their intricacy.
EDIT: Just come back as I nearly forgot to post this:
The Magpie nest at the top of our apple tree!! Its nearly two feet across! (nothing to an osprey nest, but big all the same, LOL!)
When we came down from the hill and taking the pictures of Caernarfon, we did a little shopping then went for a favourite walk, along the edges of the town and the Straits, with views of Anglesey on the other side of the water.
As we walked, I heard a lovely sound: the clear chirps of a Robin, above me.
One of my favourite sounds, besides that of the Blackbird. So crisp and pretty.
It was a lovely moment.
Mrs Blackbird was on the path, farther along: she was so intent on something in the grass that she ignored me.
View across the water, showing the bright cheerful dandelions everywhere.
Found some clumps of bluebells under the hedge, but I think they are the foreign invaders, rather than the native ones.
At the end of our walk, found three horses in a field, who were more intent on eating and, ahem, mating! than coming over to see us.
Lovely pics of trees, birds, flowers - nothing beats nature in the springtime - especially when accompanied by birdsong! OH will also be doing the first strim and trim of the year after the mowing. Unfortunately I just looked out under the Willow Tree and saw that hasn't been weeded so far this year - will have to add it to the list. Once it is cleaned out, and maybe given a new layer of bark , it can be kept clean with the hoe.
Such lovely pictures, LINDY! I will have a more thorough look later - it is middle daughter's birthday today and had to go shopping for nibbles and prosecco. Then stepson arrived and has only just left. We had a good chat.
Welcome home, AQ!
Be back later
Heather - I hope you all had a wonderful time celebrating Alison's birthday!