Sunday, April 10, 2011

Summer!

Experience is teaching us that a spell of fine weather early in the year is Summer! And if we don't grab it, that's it. So, we are. The lounger cushions are out, and we are basking.

Only on Friday, I decided that we should use the freedom of the newly retired, and have an outing. So we trundled off to Harlow Carr, and I am so glad that we did. The weather was perfect - temp around 70F, wall to wall blue sky and a breeze just right to cool us off when the unaccustomed sun and warmth felt a little much.

But before the gardens, lunch at Bettys (yes, an added attraction!)



Sir indulged in a ginormous rhubarb* and ginger sundae, which, obviously, he enjoyed.

Then we started wandering. I had thought that we might have missed the best of the daffodils, but, not.



And there was untold richness to come. I'm going to put some of my favourite photos here, but there are a lot more - we took, I think, fifty nine, and I think around twenty eight have gone up on to Flickr. So click on any image to get to my account as see the rest if you have the stamina!



The DSM's favourite flowers - snakeshead fritillary.



These are small, sort of crocus size, and I'm not sure what there are. Other than gorgeous. Some sort of anemone?











*And if it is Yorkshire, there must be rhubarb! Hopefully, the sundae had its origins here in the kitchen garden.



One of the things that the DSM really loves to do is to invent, I mean explore, new routes home. There was this little white road shown on the map, our car is AWD, it was a glorious afternoon, and we had no deadline.............

Well, we found a fabulous spot to return to for a picnic. And, yes, there was a road. It continued. There was a ford, and a bridge......



The ford was very rocky, and looked deepish.

The bridge was very narrow.



So we hung around for a while, enjoying, and then turned back.



Rare sighting of Carol in her own blog!



And there were beautiful flowers here, too.

I think this all made for what might justifiably be called a perfect day.

Yesterday we spent a lot of time loafing around in the garden, and I finished the angora and silk shawlette (shows you how much time....) Photos later. Today, Bear Knitters, and then more loafing. They are threatening us with a sandstorm from the Sahara and then a return to more "normal" conditions, which probably means.......

The End of Summer.

6 comments:

Pete said...

70C? I don't think so! We'd be dead!!

Carol said...

Ooh, so we are going to have a public marital spat, eh?? No comments about the luvverly photographs, just pointing out that I made a typo.

Humph. Just wait until you start a blog!!

Cassandra said...

Oh, what a perfect day indeed! Love the flower photos, glad you're enjoying our brief summer. It's been beautiful over here in NL, too, and we had our perfect summer's day yesterday.

beadlizard said...

Pete's smile is even more beautiful than the flowers! The bridge spot looks heavenly. Glad to see that rare bird, Carol, in her native habitat. --syl

Freyalyn said...

Lovely post! Thank you for sharing.

Dorothy said...

Lovely photos, that bridge is beautiful, wonderful what you can find exploring back lanes.