Friday first...
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... towards evening, in a sky that has been grey all day, a small area of pink briefly appears. I take a pic for the
flickr sky pool.
Hubby was due back from work soon which was good as there were a few things waiting for him at home...
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...a small pile of birthday presents.
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...and a big pile of birthday cake.
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It was decorated with candles in hubby's cycling club colours. Rather appropriate as he was going out for a curry with the club that very night.
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The little black blob right in the middle of this photo is a blackbird who was singing his heart out all evening till it was quite dark. The sound, with its promise of spring, made me ridiculously happy.
Then it was Saturday...
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...It may still look like the middle of the night but it was about 9am. Off we go...
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Pylons, brooding skies.
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The big bike scuplture and the folly in the distance. I'm feeling lazy this morning so we're just heading out along the (flat!) cycle path.
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The loch.
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Swans at the loch, and a coxless four in the background ("From backstops, ready, row!")
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The pair of pink footed geese are still about.
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Past the castle. It's raininng now, I'm risking getting my camera all wet with this shot.
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Along the cyclepath it's reasonably sheltered from the rain. It seems crazy that we have so much water here (more than we need or want!) and just a few hundred miles away
parts of the country are preparing for a drought. ![](//4.bp.blogspot.com/-t2TezKa_XNg/T0pNKE4PmdI/AAAAAAAAI9U/FGLmCtHmFvc/s400/DSCF6765.JPG)
I go as far as these bike artworks. After taking a peek over the hedge to check the weather conditions for a possible route home via the hills, I decide to keep to the cyclepath - as one walker I passed commented it was "Not pleasant".
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Rusty old bridge detail.
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One last soggy view.
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Cake!
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After my shower I put on my new top, the print seemed appropriate. It's from
White Stuff.
Tess from Driftwood doesn't know it but it was from a post a couple of years ago on her blog where she asked for ideas on where to buy clothes that I discovered White Stuff for myself. I love their tops - gorgeous prints, long and flattering cuts. They do free delivery and returns and often have special offers running. Thanks Tess!
Saturday night we have a babysitter and I take hubby out for a birthday meal. I have black pudding croquets, balmoral chicken and mud pie. Put that way it sounds basic, the menu did indeed look basic (and hubby looked a little worried) but it was all absolutely delicious. Hubby had salmon nicoise salad, sea bass with samphire and rhubarb tarte tatin. Yum!
Now to Sunday...
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...and I have company, I decide to take A & N over part of my route from yesterday. I'd spotted some snowdrops I wanted a closer look at and persuaded them to accompany me with a promise of woods to explore and a castle to see.
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Some of the trees we pass are completely decorated with lichen.
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Close up.
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The snowdrops! And lots of mud.
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More snowdrops.
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More mud!
This is from under a huge archway we discovered below the cyclepath which a farmer uses to store his combine harvester and some other equipment.
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Looking out the other side of the arch back towards the woodland.
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Out past the castle.
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Trees.
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Sheep.
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Admiring the view.
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Rivetting.
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Transport.
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Back past the castle (with perched bird).
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Some welly cleaning before getting back in the car to come home.
Now I'm jumping back to last Sunday (and well done if you're lasting this long!). It was a sunny day (woohoo!) and we went to the grounds of a nearby country house which are open to the public (for a fee) and have lots of different play areas.
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More snowdrops! There's no sign of any other flowers yet, daffodils are still tightly budded and even the crocuses haven't flowered fully yet.
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Pine cones on a branch (some came home to decorate a shelf).
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On the new play train.
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Looking up (gorgeous!)
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Last snowdrop shot, promise!
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Espalliered apple tree against an old brick wall.
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The view.
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N was most grumpy and spent much of the time crying to go home, so the visit wasn't a great success. We had much more fun today, despite the weather.
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Isn't it nice when you can dictate your shopping list and someone else writes it down for you.
Phew, rather a gallop through the last week. I've been having a clear out and a big tidyup. Long overdue. Still ongoing...
Roast beef for tea tonight, mmmm.