kites

My current screensaver. Memories of a lovely walk up the Lawley in Shropshire a couple of weeks ago.

A bit black over Bill's mother's

Can you believe this sky? (I haven't altered this photo in any way.) Any darkening of the sky provokes the comment 'It's a bit black over Bill's mother's' in our house but this really was black!

This is what followed. We narrowly averted a flood in the studio by me frantically sweeping water away from the doors while Warb dug a trench to divert it. There is a drain there but the volume of water was too great. It started as hail and then turned to rain. It was very dramatic - a bit too dramatic actually...

spring

enamel jug here

Yesterday was a very Pollyanna day! The sun shone out of a blue sky with the odd fluffy white cloud, the birds sang, I saw swallows and the first hoopoes and a redstart has made her nest and laid 4 eggs in it just inside the barn door (so now we can't go in that door!).   How everything changes when the sun shines!  

I think we have had the wettest Spring since we came to live here 12 years ago - it has been quite miserable with just the occasional sunny day to stop me getting too desperate. But - and I presume this has to do with the amount of rain we've had - the cowslips this year are spectacular - I'm not exaggerating  when I say that there are thousands and thousands of them. 

One of my earliest memories is my infants teacher (though the class was called Babies in my school, we then progressed to High Babies!) Miss Brennan making two tight bunches of cowslips and then attaching them somehow to make a large spherical ball of flowers. 

The oaks are coming in to leaf, still waiting for the lovely lime tree in our yard - it's always late -and the walnuts. Their young leaves have a beautiful almost citrussy scent.

new etsy website

Etsy have launched a new website tool called Pattern which allows shops to run a separate website which synchronizes with their shop. You can buy from either the ordinary shop or the website.

What do you think? I like the look of the website a lot (I'll like it even more when my camera is repaired and I lose that blob of dust on the lens...) but it does cost money and I'm wondering whether it's worth it.

You can see it here. Feedback would be much appreciated. Thanks!

door(knocker) envy

I wouldn't say no to the door either!