Today’s guest picture shows a child friendly door that took Mary Jo’s fancy on her visit to Copenhagen. Clever marketing.
We could hardly believe it when we got another warm and pleasant day today. It made cycling to church to sing in the choir a treat and gave us every incentive to get out in the garden when we got back.
Mrs Tootlepedal spent her time productively while I wandered around taking pictures.
Things are coming on.
Old friends are getting better…
…and new ones are coming to join them.
Grape hyacinths are appearing everywhere…
..and the scillas are bunching up nicely.
We are getting nearer to peak daffodil each day…
…and some flowers which have been modestly out for quite a bit in the chilly weather are throwing out more colour in the warmth.
There are exciting hints of delights to come (though the magnolia is taking its time).
…and some shrubs are showing colour too, like this spirea.
I had a lot of choice but this was my daffodil of the day.
Putting down my camera, I picked up the lawn mower and gave some moss a fright.
This was the first mowing of the reshaped middle lawn. There is evidence of some grass growing on it which is a relief after a long, cold, damp spell when it looked as though it was going to be totally mossy. There is a lot of work to be done before that one beautiful week in late June or early July when the currently speckled mossy area will look like a proper grassy lawn. (It starts to go downhill again shortly afterwards.)
In the afternoon we combined some shopping, including getting some slabs for Mrs Tootlepedal’s new bench area, with singing with our Carlisle choir. Our musical director, Andrew was back for the first time for a while and it was a treat to get the meticulous attention which he plays both to our singing and to the learning of new songs.
Just so that we didn’t get carried away, it was raining gently when we came out of the practice but it had stopped by the time that we got home and our warmer spell looks set to continue for a while at least.
In the gap between mowing the lawn and going to Carlisle, I had sardines on toast for my lunch and an opportunity to look out of the kitchen window. The usual suspects were busy…
…and sometimes, very busy.
The redpolls have become a permanent fixture for a while at least, returning every day…
…and I was particularly pleased to see a newcomer at the feeder today in the shape of a tree sparrow.
I had been thinking only a day or two ago that it would be nice to see a tree sparrow and hey presto, one appeared. Now I am thinking that it would be nice to win the lottery.
Any spare moments during the day were taken up by battling with an intransigent crossword puzzle. In the end, I had to ring up my sister Mary to share notes on the more convoluted answers and between us we puzzled out the setter’s obscurities to our mutual satisfaction.
The flying bird of the day is one of our standard chaffinches.
Tootlepedal's Blog 
I dead-headed all my daffodils yesterday! Great to see a tree sparrow. Good luck with the lottery.
You are well ahead of us then. We are still waiting for the much talked about heat wave.
The colours in your garden are a delight to behold.
Can’t say I am appreciating your spring just now…although the flowers are pretty. We were in the “dump zone” this weekend. My spring flowers are in an avalanche.
I have to say that we really appreciate our temperate weather even if it is a bit cold and wet. We can easily do without avalanches at this time of year.
The flower pics are delightful to see!
Good morning Tom! The email notification of your post just binged on my phone so I thought I would be the first to comment but I wasn’t quick enough! I am finally getting back to reading blogs and, as you know, yours is my favourite. Ming is doing a course in positive psychology and one of the concepts he has to write about is mindfulness,and living mindfully. I recommended reading your blog because you do this living mindfully so well (but unfortunately he doesn’t like reading at all – oh well!) Anyway it is good to be here and to read about, and see, your spring. I always feel uplifted reading your posts.
I am glad to see you getting back to reading blogs as they may give you a a moment’s rest from your pervasive thoughts. If mine can cheer you up even a little bit, that would be a wonderful thing to know. Ming could just skip the text and look at the pictures!
It is nice to see you here.
I think the lawn and garden look great. It’s nice to see all the flowers. We’re still waiting for the warmth that will flip the switch and get ours blooming.
I’m glad that you’re finally getting some good weather. I hope it brings out the bluebells and orchids.
We have quite a bit to wait for the bluebells and orchids but at least we have a glimmer of hope.
It’s a pleasure to see all the colour in your garden. I’m going to celebrate by breaking up the bigger snowdrifts and tossing the snow about to make it melt faster. (I used to chuckle at retired folks who had time to do such things, and now look at me . . .) Good luck with your lottery project!
I am really sorry about your everlasting snow.
Good to see the sparrows are still around. The spring flowers will be in a mad rush now to complete their “business” before the summer flowers take over.
You think that we are going to get a summer?
Weeeeeell ….. 😉
Very nice photos, seems like you had good lighting today. 🙂
Better than most days recently.
Lovely picture of two varieties of daffodils. Glad the choirs went well.
Some of us have freezing rain and some of us have beautiful flowers. 😉 But what a delight to see the beauties from your garden. And that little door is sweet.
I am sorry about your weather. I have written a letter to your president about it but he says he can’t do anything for you.
You have done something I thought was impossible. Make me chuckle about our president. Most of the time I sigh and shake my head.
It is much the same with our government here.
Sigh.
Mrs. Tootlepedal’s garden is looking lovely! I am now caught up with you again. I was pleased to see healthy tadpoles in an earlier post. Your April seems to be going similar to ours, so far, although we have already hit peak daffodil here. It has been so cool and wet that it will be interesting to see what we get for cherries, plums and pears this year.
No sign of any plum blossom yet here.
Plums, pear and wild cherries are in full bloom. The black tartarian cherry is still waiting. Blueberries are about to open their blossoms. Apples will be along in a week or two.
We should be in full spring mode by now but we are a week or two behind schedule.
Lawn rules are a strange thing really… It’s more taming of a beast than nurturing nature. That sparrow is bound to have lots of friends..
I think of it more as a Sisyphean task but not quite so much fun.
Tra la indeed with your lovely garden looking a picture. Your photos are really lovely with such depth…I can almost smell the flowers! How fortunate to have a tree sparrow and redpolls on your feeders …let’s hope the sparrow hawk stays away.
It comes and goes regularly but only rarely succeeds.
It really is good to see a tree sparrow and your photo shows what attractive feather colours they have, I am glad your choir practice went well and the rain didn’t last.
I like tree sparrows a lot. I wish we saw more of them.
So many beautiful flowers! I’m looking forward to seeing what the green thumb of Mrs. T has in store for us the rest of the summer.
I’m also happy for you that more species of birds are beginning to show up at your feeders, not that I was tired of seeing the regulars in action.
A change is always good.