New Emergences

 Having had a lovely family Christmas with the three of us - stepfather, sister, and myself, with the new year it is always exciting to anticipate the blooming of the first "spring" flowers.

Only, it has already happened!

As well as the snowdrops I've shown you, I've found aconite already in the Friary Gardens, and also crocuses in the cemetery.

Crocuses! In December!

I wonder if the anticipated freezing snap we are about to have will slow things down a bit, after all it was a very mild festive season, but I'm just pleased to see the colour for now, as the days begin to lengthen.

I hope you all had a very happy Christmas!

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 02.01.2025

A Soggy Start to 2024

 It was raining like mad last night, it is raining like anything today, so I've spent New Years Day on the sofa. 

In fact, we seem to have been enduring rain and stormy winds for the entire holiday season! There is so much flooding around here, with Sconce Park pastures and large chunks of Farndon village being below water. But I've still managed to get out running a few times, albeit going very slowly, and really enjoyed being out there, spotting the first signs of the colours of spring. 

In addition to snowdrops, we have the first flowering aconite, mahonia and most strangely, cowslips in bloom in the library gardens. 

I've enjoyed watching tweeping flocks of goldfinch working on teasel heads, long tailed tits flitting through willow trees by the lake and river, and on New Years Eve a huge buzzard sat on the ground in a paddock, staring intently at something under a battleship grey sky. 

There's a lot of world out there, and I intend to explore more of it than I have been doing. 

Si

All text and images copyright Cream Crackered Nature 01.01.24