Monday 6 April 2015

Cardigan off!























A perfect bank holiday no?  Blue skies, warm sun, barely a hint of a breeze.  We went to Bowood for a picnic and a gallop round.  There were brimstone butterflies (yellow), pheasants, great crested grebes and a red kite circling overhead, riding the thermals.  I left my coat at home, and by the afternoon I was down to a t-shirt.  First time this year.

A tradition of me racing the boys across the lawn has somehow arisen.  I think I need to start training for it.  We only visit Bowood once every couple of years or so, so I have a while.  You can just about see me sprinting along there.  I likened myself to a cheetah, only able to run at top speed for a few moments.  Someone said something about a hippo.  The photos of me were taken by the littlest boy, who was thrilled to get his hands on the camera while I was running.

I hope you'll forgive all the magnolia photos at the end.  They're pretty much my favourite spring flowers.  The scent was phenomenal, the flowers were breathtaking.  Love, love, love them.  The white one is M. Merill and the deeper pink one and the bud are M. Star Wars.  Not sure about the pale pink one.  They were numbered, so I had to ask a lady with a brochure.  She was a magnolia fan too, I could tell.  We stood immersed in the trees, with our heads in the blooms, soaking up the scent and the light.

I hope the day was good with you too.  The kind of good where you bank the memories against a future rainy day.  Blissful.

40 comments:

  1. All of your photos are beautiful, but that one of the pheasant is spectacular!!! Glad to see spring has come your way.

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  2. What a fabulous place!! Such beautiful pictures!!! Glad you had a good time. xx

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  3. Blue skies, flowers, and fun with your boys - all sounds a great way to spend a Bank Holiday. x

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  4. Oh CJ what lovely photo's .....and I have to agree magnolia is just the best Spring bloom - it's going to be a good week weather wise I think fingers crossed

    All the best Jan

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  5. Whenever I pass the sign to Bowood travelling on the M4 I always think that I must visit sometime. I haven't managed it yet but your photos make me more determined. I love the one with your fabulous curly hair too - I'm very envious. Glad you had a lovely Easter Monday - the weather was pretty spectacular wasn't it? xx

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  6. Bowood looks gorgeous - the little Greek temple / folly reminds me of 'The Enchanted Castle' by E.Nesbit. And lovely action shots of your race!

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  7. What a gorgeous post! I love magnolias, thank you for sharing all those photos of them. It's nice to see your pretty face. :)

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  8. That pheasant will be on the lookout for someone's favourite bulbs..

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  9. Beautiful photos! I can't wait until our flowers are blooming around here :) Our cardigans were off today as well, so so warm out! I love your gorgeous curls!

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  10. Cardigan Off! You're so funny. You know that my cardigans are my grown up acceptable version of the security blanket. They even allow me to wear them to work! I love your spring photos and was lucky enough to see Magnolias blooming in England last week. I also so my favorite, camellias that remind me of my childhood.

    Favorite photo: The boys fishing. Really, that's getting the best of a bank holiday in the sunshine with your family :)

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  11. Such a beautiful place, the gardens are lovely filled with trees, magnolias and daffodils. I especially like the photos of the lake, the boys seem to be having a good time, a lovely 'selfie' ,you look happy, also your race, the folly and waterfall.
    Glad you had a great day.
    xoxoxo ♡

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  12. That is one magnificent place you visited! Cute photo of you and your curls. You look like a gazelle to me. That waterfall was magnificent.. is it real or a "water feature"? Great images. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  13. I can feel the bliss pouring out of your post!!! Just gorgeous!! And magnolias are one of my favorites too!! I really was taken with your photos CJ!!! Happy week my friend! Nicole xo

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  14. Still slightly chilly here even with the sun shining, so it was a cardigans on kind of day. Snow forecast for Thursday, so springtime blooms are still weeks away. Sigh. . .

    I love the photos of your outing - thanks for sharing.

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  15. Looks perfect in every way. Reminds me of our childhood trips to stately homes and running through their vast well kept grounds. Enjoy the weather :)

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  16. Glorious. I love all the blossom- there's something wonderful about it set against blue blue sky. I always wanted curly hair when I was young (mine is dead dead straight) :o) xx

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  17. Wasn't it lovely! I'll have to look up and see where Bowood is. The dark pink Magnolia, is unusual isn't it. A lovely place to spend yesterday. X

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  18. Looks and sounds like the perfect bank holiday. You certainly had better weather than us here in the east. It was disappointingly grey and cold, so your beautiful photos of magnolias against a blue sky are very welcome :)

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  19. Great photos CJ and Bowood looks like a lovely place to enjoy good weather and a bank holiday. There's nothing to forgive for the magnolia photos, they're magnificent. I have a star magnolia in my garden that doesn't seem to have done that well over the last 3 or 4 years, but it has managed a few blooms this year - perhaps it's in the wrong place. I only recently discovered that magnolias are pollinated by beetles and not bees because they evolved long before bees did. Let's hope this good weather continues so we can make the most of those beautiful flowers. Have a great week. Jane xx

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  20. Gorgeous photos. I spent yesterday gardening in short sleeves. It felt so good!

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  21. Magnolias are gorgeous, mostly because they come and they go, they don't last well and the scent is wonderful. No, I don't mind so many magnolia photos at the end. I'm glad you like them as well!

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  22. such a beautiful day! loving your magnolia photos xxx

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  23. It sounds like the perfect kind of day. It does make such a difference when the sun's shining, it's lovely to get out and make the most of it. The magnolias are beautiful, especially against such a blue sky.

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  24. It sure was a lovely day which you clearly made the most of as shown in your pictures. Flighty xx

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  25. Isn't it wonderful to have warmth, sunshine and all those flowers coming to life. Lovely photographs and an interesting place to visit, I've never been. The Magnolias look stunning :)

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  26. Gorgeous CJ - what a perfect Spring day! Amazing that you captured a pheasant that close! Today we have the April showers that will hopefully bring us some flowers soon.

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  27. what a beautiful day! i agree -- magnolias are definitely my favourite spring blossoms....such a riot of colour and scent....it's a shame they're so short-lived.

    whenever i see photos of estates like that, i always marvel that people actually *lived* there....:) xo

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  28. Looks the most beautiful day to spend in the sunshine! Lovely picture of you! Those days of perfect weather where everyone is happy and smiling are treasures that should be kept especially close to the heart:) You're right that it's nice to bottle up the feelings to serve as a reminder on rainy days. We're getting some good weather here, too. It was a little cooler this weekend, but warm enough to run around outside a bit. We have some rain now, but it's definitely getting warmer. All the trees and flowers springing to life make me happy:) Hope you have a wonderful day, CJ!

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  29. It was so good to have the sunshine and heat here yesterday! What a difference it makes to wear less clothes and eat meals outside in the garden again! Bowood looks beautiful and I too love the magnolia trees, I am missing the one in our old garden at the moment so it was good to see all your images. Sarah x

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  30. It was a great time for us too, lots of happy memories have indeed been banked for the future x

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  31. It sounds like a wonderful day, full of fun, beauty and racing! I would have fallen on my behind to the amusement of everyone.
    Hugs,
    Meredith

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  32. Lovely to see the magnolias . . . and all that blue sky!

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  33. I don't mind seeing many pictures of those magnolias at all. I haven't seen any around here, so it was nice. I love how dramatic the spring season is in other places. I hope your week has been going well CJ!

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  34. Stunning photos as usual and this time stunning weather to go with them

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  35. Love love love your magnolia pictures. I have planted two here. Both flower although they are only four years old but it will be a while before you have to look up into the branches!

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  36. I recognised Bowood from your photos as we went there years ago when the children were younger and spent a great deal of time in the adventure playground. It looks like you had wonderful weather for your visit, and had a glorious day. I love your tradition of racing across the grass, and I adore your magnolia photos. It's wonderful when you find a fellow enthusiast and can spend a moment or two indulging your interest. On such a warm day the perfume must've been heaven :)
    Cathy x

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  37. Gorgeous pictures as always (and great to see you featuring in one of them too!) I just love the blossom around in spring time!

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  38. This post is a joy to look at, all your photos are stunning. I feel like I have been on a day out with you. thanks for sharing

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  39. What a fabulous day, spring definitely has sprung hasn't it! I love magnolias too and all that lovely blossom! Definitely one to bank for a rainy day xx

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  40. Beautiful pictures! I love the Magnolias - so pretty against that blue sky. Isn't it lovely to be able to leave the coats at home! xx

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