We’ve had a rather lovely week weather wise so it was finally time to release Holly the hedgehog. She has almost dug herself out of the rabbit hutch and is certainly fat enough to survive whatever the weather now. So I left her food and water and merely left the door open, and after six long months…..off she went…..just like that. Sob……
So it’s goodbye and good luck little one, be safe and take good care….I shall miss you.
Saturday dawned and it was truly glorious. The sun was shining and the sky was a beautiful cobalt blue. I couldn’t believe it, but intended on making the most of it. The BBQ was hauled out and hubs, daughter and I enjoyed our FIRST meal outdoors. Oh my….I can’t explain how fabulous it was, despite me starting a small blaze!
It wasn’t just me loving the warm weather, the cherry blossom is suddenly bursting into flower and the leaves are beginning to appear on the hedges and trees.
And the dogs simply loved playing out in the sunshine.
My veggie patch and greenhouse seedlings are suddenly shooting up.
After our lunch we took our first long country walk of the year. Across the road, the houses disappear and fields, forests and brooks are everywhere.
While we have been shivering indoors, life has burst forth everywhere else. I was surprised to see the size of the lambs, they must have struggled over the last few months.
Along with the calves.
Everywhere we looked life was bountiful. I was also astonished to see my first swallows, swifts and house martins.
And the drakes were battling over the ducks.
As we were heading home the sheep and lambs were moved from the field and taken to the barn to be kept warm overnight. It was lovely to see them all trotting down the road. The dogs were really excited and wanted to join the flock.
And along with the visiting birds, I saw my first butterflies and bees, everywhere they were!
Oh what joy! Spring has most definitely sprung! Better late than never!
And finally, to round off a wonderful outdoorsey kind of a day, hubs and I had ourselves a chiminea. Wonderful it was, and lots more pot ash for all my thriving plants and trees.
Awhh. That brought a lump to my throat having Holly leave you. That’s so hard but necessary.
Glad you’re out BBQing already. I remember you sitting by the chiminea last year and listening to the frogs. Heaven ! Xxx
Ahhh…..it was sad to see Holly go, you get used to looking after things and then suddenly there’s a gap, I always feel like I’ve forgotten someone now….I really hope she does well, she has a head start weight wise antway.##Yes….I remember those frogs singing in the rain …..lovely that you remember too.xxxx
Haha! The BBQ reminds me very much of the type I have: never as smooth sailing as other people’s! It’s so nice to see spring might have arrived! x
It is fantastic to finally see buds appearing everywhere!!!
I’m glad it’s not just me who has the occasional mishap!xxxx
It’s so nice to FINALLY see some blossom on the trees!! I love the pic of the blaze as well it was hilarious! I think you handled is very calmly (probably because you’re so used to the Chiminea getting a little out of hand!) xx
Lol, thanks Jen, I am far too comfortable around fire!!!
It is lovely to finally see the cherry blossom, I’m just waiting for the plum and apple now.xxxx
Thanks Janet. Hopefully we can all enjoy!xxxx
Fabulous post and yes spring has definitely sprung.
Enjoy Enjoy Enjoy xxxxxx
Farewell to Holly, or maybe not if she’s stays around your garden that would be nice and hopefully a bit of a slug deterent? Wasn’t it so lovely to be able to sit in the sun, still a bit chilly at times but so nice that we can get in the garden and enjoy it again. You really made the most of the good weather. Fingers crossed you have many more BBQs.
Thanks Annie. It would be another wonderful slug deterrent if Holly stays around, we have a couple of hogs in the garden already who do a wonderful job of keeping the veggie patch slug free,
It’s fantastic to get out isn’t it, here the weather is still mild but now wet and windy.xxxx
What a diffence a little sunshine makes. I’m glad Holly has been released, I’m sure she will do well. I do like that picture of the sheep walking down the road.
Thanks Dessie, isn’t it marvelous to get out without twenty layers. I do hope we have a good year weather wise.xxxx
You know that summer is well and truly on the way once the swallows arrive!
Yes, it’s always wonderful to see them. I think we’ve maybe missed spring and will go straight into summer this year.xxxx
Isn’t it amazing how a few days of sunshine has transformed everything! x
It’s truly incredible isn’t it, and SUCH a tonic. I have my fingers crossed for an Indian summer!xxxx
Lovely post and photos on being outdoors and enjoying warm spring sunshine! It’s wonderful to see Holly healthy enough to be released, even though it’s sad that she’s disappeared into her new life. The lambs and calves are gorgeous and the blossom is beautiful. And I love to see the swallows, swifts and house martins, too – a real sign of summer.
Thanks Wendy. I’m thrilled that Holly has gone back to the wild, but I keep on feeling that I’ve forgotten to muck out a hog, you do get into routines don’t you.
It was so lovely seeing all the lambs and calves and I absolutely love watching the swallows, swifts and house martins. Airial acrobats they are!
Hope all goes well with Holly. You really made the most of the better weather at the weekend. Isn’t it lovely to see the blossom? It seemed to suddenly appear. We have ornamental cherry trees along the roads in the neighbourhood and it’s great to see the frothy flowers. We have strong winds today so I hope the blossom survives. It’s a good washing day for me today. I like your atmospheric photo of the flock of sheep returning to the farm in the evening. Hope you have more opportunities to get out and about, especially dog walking.
Thanks Linda, hopefully Holly will be fine now.
Oh it’s absolutely glorious when the sun shines and everything bursts into life.
We have cherry trees in our road too but they haven’t blossomed yet, so something to look forward to. I’m glad you are enjoying yours.
We’ve had pretty strong winds recently that did all sorts of damage, spring is so unpredictable weather wise.
I hope you get lots of good washing days.xxxx
It does look wonderful, Dina. The pictures are so charming, and I too am beginning to enjoy the spring, the food, the wild animals, the flowers… what a wonderful time. And this was a wonderful post too.
Thanks Shimon, I delighted to hear that you are enjoying all the pleasures that spring brings too, it is such a rich and bountiful time with everything happening at once. I’m enjoying your pics of spring too.xxxx
What a wonderful day! I see my first Swallow very early this year. He/She was on their own though, must have been a super speedy one, very keen on catching the first British Midges of the year.
It truly was a splendid day!!! I hope we get more of them.
How lovely that you have a swallow albeit a lone one, I’m sure the others can’t be far behind…..xxxx
Doesn’t this spate of beautiful weather make such a difference! How lovely to see the Spring lambs and calves and Holly going off to fend for herself. I’ve never seen a hedgehog in my garden before so I love to see photos of them. I hope she has a happy life 🙂
Oh I do agree, a little sunshine is such a tonic. Bring it on I say!!!
What a shame you don’t have hogs in your garden, and here’s me mucking out fourty each rescue shift!
I too wish her well……I have my fingers crossed.xxxx
I hope that you get to see Holly again, just to see that she’s okay. Good to see so many signs of spring at long last, and hopefully also a sign of a good summer to come.
Lovely post and terrific pictures. xx
Thanks Flighty, I’m hoping to get a glimpse of Holly pottering about during the long summer nights when the hogs come out early…..it would be nice to know she’s ok. I dod think she was ready to go and has plenty of excess weight to sustain her.xxxx
Oh, I’m so pleased to see these sunshiny photos! I was starting to feel guilty with all the warm weather we’re having — not wanting to gloat while friends like you are still bristling against cold. But look at that! A meal out of doors! Happy dogs! Hurray for Holly!
Lol, thanks Nikki, could you send more of your sunshine over please, you have plenty to share, and hey…..feel free to gloat, I would!!!!
I LOVED my first BBQ, you just can’t beat the smell of food cooking outdoors, really works up an appetite. xxxx
It’s really great to have the sun on our backs again isn’t it. We drove across Dartmoor yesterday, there are lambs and foals springing up everywhere. And a herd of cows being driven up the road too, to pastures new.
Hope all is well with Holly. Great that she is now fit enough to go back to the wild.
Oh it’s fantastic to see a little sunshine, it’s certainly been a long hard winter.
It’s amazing to see so much life about isn’t it, just shows how the wheels keep turning while we all huddle indoors.
I’m pleased that Holly has gone back to the wild and have my fingers crossed for her.xxxx
I think Holly is still in the garden, I left food and water out by the rabbit hutch and it has gone, so I’m hoping she ate it. I did find her on Curly cats’s biscuits so I’m happy that she knows the garden and where food is, she may go off and find her own territory though as we have several hogs in the garden and just return for a feed. Hogs can walk a mile a night.
I’m sure your spring is ready to burst into life, I’ll look forward to seeing pics!
Oh yes, sunshine is such a tonic after such a long winter.xxxx
Do you think Holly will find her way back occasionally knowing that there may be a food supply or do you think she’s packed her bags for good? Lovely to see blossom on the trees – nothing happening round here yet. A bit of sun makes us all feel better doesn’t it.
How lovely that Holly can go back to freedom, a job very well done. You certainly deserve a pat on the back. What a wonderful weekend, weather wise. It’s great to be able to get outdoors again and see spring springing all around. Your trees are going to look wonderful covered in blossom.
Thanks Jo, it’s really hard releasing animals, you get overly worried about them after caring for them for a while. She should be fine now as she is a good weight. Herbie is now in the hutch outdoors and seems much happier.
Oh Jo, it’s such a pleasure to be outdoors again and to see all the business of spring after such a long cold winter. It’s astonishing how much life there suddenly is…..xxxx
Indeed! What Joy!!!!! Wonderfully cheering post…..Love the pics and all! Hope this continues……;) Hugs! xx
Joy indeed Ell, it doesn’t take much to lift the spirits does it? Fingers crossed for a good spring and summer, we need it after last years washout and long winter.xxxx
Glorious photos! I really love the sheep and lambs…it looks like you’re a few weeks ahead of us, weather-wise, and I’m happy that somewhere in the world cherry trees are flowering and people are grilling food outdoors…we’d hoped to last week, but sleet and snow kept me in the kitchen, for now!
Thank you, Snow Bird, for the sweet reminders of what’s coming. Happy that I can vicariously enjoy your lovely weekend, too. Blessings on Holly’s new adventures, and your gardens, too!
Thanks Kitty, oh noooooooooooooo….you STILL have sleet and snow…..argh!!!! Enough is enough, after all it is spring!!!
I do hope you get some warm weather soon, I’ll look forward to seeing pictures of sunshine and outdoor meals and activity.
It’s amazing how cheering a little sunshine, growth and cherry blossom is, and I love the way it alll floats about the garden, roll on more sunshine!xxxx
A BBQ summer ahead for you. 🙂
Oh yes…..fingers and toes crossed!xxxx