I try and go a wander round the garden every few days to check for new growth and see what is flowering.
Cyclamen
Two clumps of Snowdrops - one in flower and one still in bud.
Towards the top of the garden there are quite a few clumps of wild primroses that have spread over the years. They are mainly in front of an old stone wall and in front of the wild flower "meadow".
Hazel "Lambs' Tail" catkins and I found just one lone female flower.
Turkey Tail fungi are forming again on eucalpytus stumps.
Log pile in the wooded area at the top of the garden. I've no idea if it has ever been used by hedgehogs but it will be good for foraging birds and invertebrates.
B and I have talked about buying a budget wildlife camera for some time and decided to treat ourselves as a joint present for Valentine's Day. The original camera was ordered from a well known budget supermarket but when it arrived it was obviously a return as there was no seal on the box, the instruction booklet was creased and had a coffee stain and the batteries had been taken out of the plastic wrapping. So we sent it back and ordered what looked the same model and make from Amazon. We've put it in the wooded area to try it out and are hoping also to take it to the caravan later in the year if we are ever allowed to travel!!
I will let you know what we see!
I've finally got round to putting away the last of my Christmas presents. These Gallager cigarette cards were a present from D.
They reminded me of some nature albums I have. I may have shared these before but, if so, it was a long time ago.
First a PG Tips album. I am sure many of us collected these cards years ago.
I also have with complete sets of cards two Willis Wild Flower Albums from 1936/37. One was a present from D on my 50th birthday. They really are charming and it is lovely to get them out from time to time and read them. So I am sharing photos of some of the pages.
For "Rustic Pumpkin" - Wall Pennywort.
In other news B and I had our first dose of the "Oxford" vaccination last week. The second dose is booked for the end of April. I am very grateful but I shall not be changing my lifestyle. I was fine. B didn't feel very good the next day - bad headache, dizziness, nausea. He thought initially they were side effects but there is the possibility it was a severe migraine as he does suffer from these. Whether the vaccination sparked it off he has no idea.
I hope everyone is staying safe and well.
All photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera.
16 comments:
Great post! I cannot tell you how nostalgic and happy the cards made me feel. I once knew someone who had full sets of footballers and I'm sure vintage cars. I much prefer the flower and wildlife ones though. I'm sure I had some international wild animals at one time. There were so many, but sadly encouraged more smoking! Tickled to see the Wall Pennywort, thank you! Lovely to see things coming back to life after Winter, and I bet you are all eagerly waiting for the first camera footage! Hope OH is better now.
Lots of us bloggers seem to be getting their jabs at the moment, so we must be much of an age! I had mine on the "hub" at Builth Showground (oh to be there in happier times of yore, going round the stalls at the Fleamarket). Keith had his back in Carmarthen just after we moved - neither of us have been given 2nd jab dates yet, but we have only just changed GP surgeries.
No Wall Pennywort seen around here yet, but the lanes are bordered with hedges rather than big slabs of slate bedrock like the hill behind our old house was.
I love your old wild flower card albums. I used to collect the PG tips cards as a child, but sadly mum must have chucked out all the albums when she packed to come to live near us in Wales (all my old horsey mags went at the same time).
Good luck with the wildlife camera. I wonder what you will see?
Lovely signs of Spring in your garden. I hope you have as much fun with your wildlife camera as we have had with ours. We were able to see the young fox cubs and badgers last year and just the other night saw two differen foxes and one badger so they are still around. It will be interesting to take the camera away with you too to see wildlife in a different area. Your wild flower albums are lovely. I vaguely remember having a few flower cards from packets of tea when I was a child, although I never had an album to put them in. Glad you have both had your vaccines now, there were different afer effects in our houshold too. Stay safe and take care:)
Rustic Pumpkin - Thanks so much and so pleased you enjoyed the vintage wild flower albums. I remember collecting the tea cards but I sadly don't have any I collected. Ebay sell the cards and complete albums - they are not too expensive. Squirrel daylight videos on camera - very pleased with quality. Will try and post a video - that will be a first! OH seems fine now thank you.
Bovey Belle - Thank you. I am 68! Am sure you will get second jab date soon. Our GP made it at same time as first appointment but as you say you have just changed surgeries.
I collected the tea cards too and I don't have mine either :(
We have just checked camera footage - very pleased with quality. Lots of footage grey squirrels. None from nighttime must check infrared setting switched on!
I shall be very interested, RR, to see what you find on your camera! It's lovely to see these flowers beginning to emerge, and the catkins. Our first two Crocuses are virtually out. So glad you had your jabs, though sorry about the reaction/migraine for B. I had the Pfizer, and was fine, though have no date yet for the second. And like you, am remaining as cautious as possible as I continue to shield.
So lovely to see the signs of early spring. I went for a walk yesterday and saw plenty of things flowering which was so exciting after such a dreary winter. How lovely to have those collections of wildflower cards! Great you have had you first vaccination, but surely after the 2nd one you can start to go out a bit more?(if it's allowed, of course). We heard from our doc that we are getting ours at the end of this month - apparently they are now doing the over 50s with an underlying health condition so our doc must consider my 5 years free of cancer and K's dodgy chest from bronchitis that won't go away completely to be underlying health conditions! I wouldn't have considered either to be exactly bad.... but we are not complaining!! Take care xx
Rosie - Thanks so much. You have some super footage from your camera which I have so enjoyed. No badgers here and only occasional foxes! Tested last night - very pleased with quality. Caught lots of squirrel action! OH is working out how to edit to make file size smaller so I can post some.
Glad your first dose done too and hope you have fully recovered from feeling a bit poorly. Not looking forward to second dose though! Still needs must!
Pleased you like the wildflower albums :)
Caroline Gill - Thank you. When B works out how to edit videos will try posting some. Grey Squirrels so far! Glad to hear your vaccination out of the way too and no side effects. Caution will continue for a long time yet I am afraid. Hope you get date for 2nd jab soon.
MillyMollyMandy - Thank you. It is lovely to see the Spring flowers appearing - it has seemed a long winter! I am waiting to see what effectiveness of the vaccination appears to be. Great news re: 5 years you must be pleased and I would just have the vaccination and not worry why :) Take care too.
I look forward to seeing the variety of wildlife your trail camera captures.
Midmarsh John - Thanks so much. We are just working out how to edit to make file size small enough to post :) Have quite a bit of grey squirrel footage atm and very pleased with the quality for the price.
Lovely spring growth in you garden. I am looking forward to seeing what wildlife the camera picks up.
Yes I remember PG tips cards. I don't think I still have any albums though.
My Mum had the same side effects as B after she had the Oxford vaccination, although her symptoms came on a few days later.
Oh I love those albums! I remeber have some cards a very long time ago but never any albums! It's nice to see the signs of spring in your garden and i'm looking forward to seeing what you spot with the camera!
CherryPie - Thank you. I don't have any old PG tips albums or cards that were mine either :( I do hope your mum has fully recovered. Those symptoms seem quite "common" but so similar to migraine diffictul to tell what B had.
Pam - Thanks. I remember collecting them and one or two albums. The camera really is quite exciting :)
Lovely to see what's flowering in your garden, hopefully you will get to see the Hedgehog soon. Love the albums, I have a few tooked away up in my craft room on the book shelf. I have found Oxfam can be a great place to pick some up, gosh seems a long time since I went round the shops.
Amanda
Amanda Peters - Thank you and so hoping for a hedgehog sighting later in the Spring. Not been in a charity shop for over a year! But will remember that tip. I think my albums came from antiques fairs and perhaps one ebay? So long ago I have forgotten!
Post a Comment