Late spring -early summer

Evening all ....as always I'm sorry that these posts are so infrequent ,but during the day I just want to be outside ,and during the night I've exhausted my little brain !!! However the spring has been just fantastic ,It's more than two months since the snowdrops were flowering and now the bluebells are just finishing .We still have the "may" or hawthorn in full flower and I see that the lupins are about to start ,but they are really summer flowers .The trees were magnificent until last Sat. week when we had 2 inches of snow !! and a couple of hard frosts to follow which burnt off the new leaves and will take a couple of weeks to recoup.All par for the course in this little corner of the world .The duck hatched out 13 ducklings ,12 of which are left ,and the chook has a couple of cute little chickens ,hopefully we will get a few more before the summer is over .
    On the family scene  Cam is home for a few weeks ,Manu has just opened a new little studio in Port Chalmers ,Eulalia and Cass are still best friends ,and I am just enjoying all of them !!! 
                Big hugs to you all ....give a few away !!!.....Bob 

 PS ;I can't download any photos ! bloody technology  ! so I will publish this so that you know that I am still alive ,and get my resident expert to help me tomorrow ...Cheers 

Sprin cleaning

No baby photos tonight ,promise .But there is one of my youngest boy clearing out his bedroom after four years away ,and accumulating four years of stuff ,who said a square peg doesn't fit in a round hole ! but it's lovely to have him home for a couple of weeks ,and the nicest weeks of spring to boot .

  The daffodils are nearly over and the bluebells are just starting ,so it should be a great display by Labour w/e,let's hope that the weather keeps fine ..Thinking of you all .

WARNING : Baby photos following !

Sorry folks but it was Eulalia Bellbird Berrys first visit to Cambrian so I felt that it called for a photo opportunity ,after all what is Cambrian for if it's not for the next generations !!!

   On a completely different note ...If you are even the slightest bit interested in China ,and you ought to be a LOT,then I can't recommend this book enough ..."When a Billion Chinese Jump" by Jonathon White ,it's quite big ,but very readable ,and although it's China the lessons apply equally to all of us ,check it out, it's only 2yrs old . ...happy spring ...

Middle Spring .

Evening All ...such a glorious day in Cambrian today , the sun rose about 6.45 so I staggered out of bed whilst the ground was still wet and had a big burn-off before breakfast .Bottled a batch of beer and made another in readiness for the summer days ahead .Fanally transplanted lots of little rose campion plants from the back door to the road junction ,here and there ,all in all a productive day ,I don't think that I spoke with anyone today ,but the chooks did lay me three eggs and the duck is sitting quietly on a clutch behind the hawthorn tree .Certainly can't complain about life !!
I think that I must have got the worlds smallest chook egg today ,to go along with the worlds smallest birds nest and some tiny daffodils .

   The snowdrops are all gone and the daffodils are  all out ,yet the bluebells haven't started ,I hope that some of them are out by next w/e as it will be Eulalias first visit to Cambrian ,I'm quite excited !

Erratic spring

"Evening all"....Well it's truly spring at the moment ,last week we had lots of rain and a mini flood ,yesterday a light brushing of snow and today you could sunbathe[if one still did such a thing],but the plants are loving it all,the snowdrops are gone ,taken over by the daffodils ,grape hyacinths ,fritalarias and a few other small plants .It might be a couple of weeks before the bluebells take over ,but they can't be too far away .First WWOOFers arriving next week ,not before time .Family are all well, Sister Rae is at the halfway point of the Spanish Camino                                         .......cheers Bob 

A balmy 10 degrees tonight ,so warm .

Well flowers don't only attract bees ,,,they attract lovers of flowers as well ,so this week past I have met such a great lot of people that have come from all corners to enjoy the snowdrops .Each year I think that they can't get better ,but they do ,mind you I'm spending a lot of time on me knees spreading them further .There are lots of croccuses amongst them now and the winter aconite is starting to spread [the little yellow flower].All in all it's a beautiful scene and you will catch me walking in amonst them at least 4 times a day !!! on a hot day the perfume is quite overpower .

             I'm eagerly awaiting the arrival of some WWOOFers ,any WWOOFers ,I have so many good jobs lined up before the fire ban goes on .I hope that you are all getting as much pleasure from the spring and those friends in the northern hemisphere are having a pleasant autumn.Kind thoughts to you all ....

Springtime-Singtime

Greetings from a wet Sunday afternoon ,an unusual event in Cambrian .Well the spring has surely arrived ,a little bit early ,but not unwelcome .Most of the snowdrops are out now ,and a few crocuses,
even the first 'rail-trailers' have called by.It's a nice feeling that the village will come to life again ,both botanically and socially ,not that the winter was too quiet,I did manage a quick trip to Auckland to see my mother ,nearly 99 !!  sorry to those that I didn't get to see ,but visiting her was the priority. Anyway ,back in Cambrian now and bloody excited to see what the spring will bring .
        I am not often moved to actually write down what I'm feeling ,but a couple of days ago I was sitting outside having my morning coffee and started musing on the birdsongs that I could hear .Bare with me .....    Spring time -Sing time "

As I sit here in the morning sun ....the spring warmth upon my back ,
with my ears open and my eyes closed  ...this is what I hear .
A passing flight of four discordant herons....                                      argueing over partner rights and nesting sites.
The piercing whistle of the many starlings ....preparing to make their annual nest in my ceiling ...
The shrill shout of the little chaffinch. 
The reverberating yodel of the frantic magpies...                                as they swoop about the skies trying to tag each other.
The glorious trilling of the unseen little warbler.
And the harsh strident call of the monogamous paradise ducks.
The glorious harmonies of the humble thrush 
and the raucous revellie of the randy rooster.
Above all this I observe the screeching hawke calling for a mate .
and the cunning cormorant saying nothing ,but watching the stream!
 No large auditorium...,no sound system 
  No central heating ....no screaming crowd
  just mother natures "symphony of Spring"
  played out in the 'central sun,,before an audience of ONE !

        

It's Spring Again !!!!

Life's a matter of degrees, and NOT the academic kind . Last week the WWOOFers bedroom was at -3 degrees ,the kitchen was 7 degrees and the lowest was -10 degrees ,but most of the time the sun shone and the wind didn't breathe and it was reasonably comfortable ,definitely beautiful. Today it is positively tropical 12 degrees ,all the water is flowing ,all the snow has gone ,and it's VERY comfortable. Two weeks hardship makes for 50 weeks of pleasure ,must be a message there somewhere .

The photos are of my neighbours grandchildren ,the WWOOFer trimming up the old willow tree and the first snowdrops of the year !

                
                                    Time to "sing again "              
                                                              cheers 

Fire and Ice in Central

Beautiful day today ,great hoar frost and then great bon-fire .WWOOFer and I made a pair of felt slippers this afternoon [I'm getting cold feet !] Hopefully the thaw will start tomorrow ,but enjoying it all the same .

          If you get the chance watch a doco called "Gasland" it's about fracking  in America for natural gas ,You won't believe what you see ,watch it !

Getting colder

A most amazing trip to Alexandra today ,in and out of hoar frost all the way ,what amazing scenery .Had to go to the baths for a shower ,no water in Cambrian!...Bottom photos are of my German WWOOFer giving a fire-stick display beside a small bon-fire ...Keep warm all ..xx

Test run 2

Blogger has changed its format and I'm not sure that my machine ,or myself,can keep up ,but knowing that we are all creatures of habit ,I am loath to change it .However I am experimenting with Tumblr to see if it is more user friendly . What would be handy is a little feedback ,either through e-mail or facebook ,I haven't worked out if Tumblr has a comment facility .  I like the IDEA of the blog, and know that quite a few of you look at it occasionally but it would be good to see how many did ,to keep up my enthusiasm .
           So I'm going to post this one ,with photos,and then do exactly the same on Tumblr,this is the tumblr address .........http://ldeberrybob.tumblr.com/......if you like it just copy it on to your "favourites"
and let me know  [please].   Very cold here at the moment ,as the photos show ,but not uncomfortable .This big pond is just up the road .Hope that you are all well and happy ...cheers  Bob ....xx