Friday 14 April 2017

Spring energy









I can feel a bit of spring energy enthusing me at the moment. The glorious weather has helped, the blossom is looking fantastic and I'm hopeful that the bees are out and about in the dry air getting everything nicely pollinated.

The nest box definitely has great tits nesting in it. We see them pop in from time to time. No babies yet, I guess they are incubating eggs right now though. Oh how lovely it would be to see in. I like to imagine them in there all warm and cosy. The nest box is on a sheltered wall, the rain very rarely heads towards it. No doubt we will see the adults more once they have chicks to feed.

I got the bean sticks up the other day and sowed a couple of runner beans at the foot of each one. It's all under way.

Tomorrow evening I shall be setting out the traditional Easter treasure hunt that the little people like to do. We've already done more Easter hunts than I can shake a stick at. The first one was after school last Friday. A school chum with a couple of fields and an orchard had everyone round to look for chocolate. It was so warm and sunny it felt like summer. Then we did the trail at the wetlands place and we happened upon another one in Waitrose that we did at breakneck speed. Waitrose isn't our normal place to shop, but we were on an errand elsewhere, hence the speed. Everywhere we go people are thrusting chocolate at us.

I'm still being very good and not eating snacks (except fruit) or sweet things (except fruit). Haven't quite reached my target weight yet though... Oh, I'm joking, I don't have a target weight. But I do feel better for avoiding snacks and sugar so maybe I shall continue it for a while. Otherwise I over do it. I don't seem to have a happy medium, I am all or nothing.

I hope everyone has good Easter break. I've already done the traditional bank holiday things - gardening, queuing on the motorway, looking at the sea, eating outside. No doubt there will a little more of the same. And you?

18 comments:

  1. Great news about the great tits. They only have one brood a year so let's hope it all goes well for them. No egg hunts here although I'm sure everyone would like one. I'm just doing single eggs :o). Hope you have a lovely weekend xx

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  2. Isn't spring just the most beautiful time of year and how do you resist all the chocolate!

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  3. I scrolled through your photos very slowly. Such color and freshness! Spring is really budding and blooming your way! I love the tin nest box. I see so many nice varieties of birds at our lakehouse, and my neighbor helps me identify them. I have feeders and birdhouses. Unfortunately in the city I have squirrels that love my feeders, and pesky house sparrows that aggressively take over the birdhouses. I'm working on a solution in time for the nesting season. I may have a pair of cardinals looking for a room to rent!! :)

    I'm trying hard to drop a few pounds (or 20) and now that we are wearing lighter clothes and can't hide behind chunky sweaters...well, it's going to be a lot of salads for the next few months.

    Sending love, CJ. Easter blessings!

    Jane x

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  4. Gorgeous spring photos, CJ. Talking as someone who wolfed down 3, yes, count them, 3 chocolate nests yesterday, I am in awe of your self restraint! We have blue tits in our nest box and I think they may have hatched already. There's certainly a lot of cheeping going on. Have a fun Easter weekend. xx

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    1. Time to get running, lovely lady! :o) XX

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  5. Nice post and lovely pictures. You've sowed your runner beans early, I don't do mine until late May!
    Thanks, you too. I'll be doing some plotting as usual, and enjoying reading my new garden book. xx

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  6. It is a lovely time of year with the blossom and lovely fresh green. The lovely weather seems to have deserted us in our part of the world.

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  7. Lovely pics, CJ - I especially like the tree and stream, reminds me that I must go back to Waterperry Gardens soon. (They have a riverbank garden there, it's very beautiful - and their apple blossom will be out!) Like Flighty, I haven't sown any beans yet, I'm still frantically stuffing seeds into modules indoors although on a sunny day I'm tempted. I'm not queueing on the motorway for a change this year, instead wrapping up warm and heading out to the allotment! Have a great Easter (and stay away from the chocolate!) Caro xx

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  8. I know what you mean about spring energy, I am feeling it here too. The good weather last weekend helped a lot, like you say. No motorway queuing for us for once, but I plan to go to the beach tomorrow. And cook a leg of lamb.

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  9. Isn't it just such a beautiful time of year! Enjoy your Easter break CJ. We are having a lovely family time here. :)

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  10. I'm finally feeling a little of that energetic over here myself. It's nice out and I have a lot of things going on, which makes me feel up and happy. I had to laugh about all the Easter hunts; would you believe they were holding one in the grocery store when I went this morning? I thought that was cute but pretty silly and kind of annoying. They gave me a Tootsie roll at the cash register and it was melted like someone had been sitting on it. No thanks. :) I hope you have a happy Easter!

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  11. I quite fancy having a chum with a couple of fields and an orchard, inviting me over to find some chocolates! Your photos are glorious, I particularly love the nesting swans. 'My' swan returned without mate, he deserted her last year after she was injured. Not sure where she is now, haven't seen her in a couple of weeks. Hope your Easter treasure hunt is successful, it sounds like fun. I am planning to do some typical Bank holiday activities but will give the motorway a miss :-) Happy Easter. xx

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  12. Wonderful images as always dear C.J.! Wishing you and your family a Happy Easter!
    xoxoxo

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  13. Gorgeous Spring-y images, my friend. You're so lucky to get so close to the swans. Your trees and flowers are a bit ahead of us but we're starting to bloom out here.

    ❀.•❤•.✿.•❤ Happy Easter! ❀.•❤•.✿.•❤

    ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  14. oh, what lovely blossomy, springy pictures. *sigh*. we're inching toward blossom here, but it's all still very precarious.

    i know what you mean about the energy, though....that sluggish, winter feeling is finally starting to dissipate and it almost seems possible that things will get done.

    xoxoxo

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  15. Lovely photos, CJ - the blossom really is looking good at the moment, isn't it? Well done with avoiding sugary things. I was doing well for a while, but Easter hasn't helped. Think I need to start again x

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  16. A lovely collection of spring photos :)

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  17. It's such a gorgeous time of year – with everything growing like mad – and the weather has been gorgeous. Your nest box photo has a lovely light; good news about the great tits. My eldest has almost finished his Easter chocolate :-O but I've restrained myself to one v delicious choc from a box. I did have a massive helping of sticky toffee pudding, though! Have a lovely rest of the Easter weekend x

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