It’s getting warmer

Collage 77/100

Spring hyacinth

Collage 33/100

New Growth

Collage 68/100

Golden Daffodils

Collage 52/100

Daffodils near Penicuik House

Collage 44/100

Blossom

Collage 43/100

The first blossom

Blossom in the Garden

Sadly we no longer have chickens but I can’t bring myself to remove the sign.

Growth

Growth is our prompt today on Artful Adventures, Stroll through the Hood. It's an ideal time to see things grow here in the Scottish Borders where spring is in full swing. Lots of plants have started to flower but first there is this amazing structure which is filled to the brim with caterpillars. Sadly I can't picture the movement going on inside but little creatures are wriggling away like mad. They make a silken web for protection, mainly on haw- and blackthorn bushes. Most likely they are members of  the Small Ermine moth family

yellow iris

wild valerian

And then there is the hawthorn, spreading it's bridal veil like flowers everywhere. Above in the Penicuik Estate (like all the pictures above)

And also by the railway bridge closer to home. 

Loud

Loud was our latest prompt on Artful Adventures, Stroll through the Hood. Not an easy one but in the end I managed to come up with two subjects that seemed to do the trick.

The first one is the clock tower belonging to the Old Stables of Penicuik House. I mentioned yesterday that the Clerk family moved there after Penicuik House caught fire in 1899. Here you can see that it wasn't' that great a sacrifice as it's a very lovely building and indeed the family still resides there. Depending on the time and where you happen to be in the Estate you can hear the clock chime the hour. It's a lovely sound.

The picture above was taken several days ago on a stunningly sunny day. You can see the house itself in the foreground with the clock tower peeping up above it and the Pentland Hills in the background. Water Willie is on the left.

Today the weather was less kind and we were caught in a spring shower. On this detail you can see the clock (facing in different directions) in more detail.

The other loud thing is loud in a figurative way. Yellow is a colour that seems to shout, specially when seen en masse. Our laburnum tree by the gate has come into flower and is putting on a stunning show.

Wildlife, Flowers and Flora

The theme on Artful Adventures Stroll through the Hood today is: Wildlife. There is lots of wildlife about in my hood. I have seen deer, foxes, badgers, moles, squirrels, hedgehogs, buzzards, sparrowhawks, pheasants, peacocks, and many other birds, but of course getting them to pose on demand is virtually impossible. So when I went hunting for wildlife in our garden I was looking for wildlife that is a bit more accommodating and prolific.

We are lucky enough to still have plenty of bees about and I love the way the bees tone in with the berberis that has just started to flower. It's definitely their favourite although they also like the rhododendron seen below.

 And I couldn't resist a quick picture of the tulips. My little bulb field right here in our own garden.

Flora came hunting with me and she looked so lovely in the sunshine that I simply had to picture her too. Tomorrow is her 6th month anniversary and she is a much more relaxed and calmer girl. There are still issues with walking but only on the railway line. If we take her by car somewhere else, she walks beautifully. I think she simply doesn't like to move away from her new home but I'm sure with time and patience she'll get there.

She is so utterly adorable and very loving towards us and that panicked look in her eyes that she had on arrival is hardly ever there now.

 She loves her garden and while I was busy taking pictures she took a break. Such a sensible girl.

Shiny

At first I was rather lost what to post to represent the prompt SHINY today on #ArtfulAdventures #StrollthroughtheHood . But the above image is my cheeky contribution. This statue can be found in the grounds of Penicuik House and is known as Water Willie (I kid you not!) Shiny he most definitely is, specially in that lovely and unexpected sunshine. He stands at the top of the Water Willie Fountain and Well.

My original idea had been to go with the shiny eyes of my companion on those strolls. You must admit her eyes fit the bill, but in this case the statue won the day because it also represents the "hood" I wander through on an almost daily basis: the Penicuik Estate. It's about 7 miles from our house and is just fabulous for a dog walk in beautiful surroundings. It also gives Flora the chance to meet other dogs and people and she is getting more confident about both by the day. Even huge dogs don't seem to deter her.

Other shiny things that crossed our path today were the water in the river (just about visible above) and the shiny fresh green leaves on the tree.

The sunshine on that water and all the wild flowers that are springing up all of a sudden make the walking a stop and start affair. Flora already knows to stand still when the camera or phone appears.

The shiny blue of the bluebells stands out against the green and the trees. It was a perfect day for shininess.

Fresh Green, Blossom and a Kingfisher

View of the Low Pond

It looked and felt a bit more spring like today and we all enjoyed our walk in the Penicuik Estate a lot more than yesterday.

Flora in action

Blossom and fresh green on the trees by the Walled Garden

While strolling along by the Roman Bridge I spotted a flash of turquoise and there it was: a kingfisher. I had never before seen this beautiful bird in the flesh, and it moved way too quickly to take a picture, so we simply stood and looked! A very special moment.

Reflections in the Low Pond

There are definite signs of spring in the Penicuik Estate. The blossom is out and the irises are coming up in the Low Pond.

The reflections were almost perfect as there was hardly any wind. I tried to entice Flora into the water but she was having none of it.

By the side of the Pond  is this sort of obelisk in memory of a member of the Clerk family who owned and still owe the Estate. This was the first time we ventured close enough to picture it.