Spring.... please?

The temperature is rising v.e.r.y. slowly but it is rising - almost to double figures (in Celsius that is).  And it's not been quite as windy this last week.  And the sun has shone *sometimes* so we can't complain!  Anyway here are a few photos from the weekend.

My poor dear Hellebores have struggled this Spring. No leaves left after constant East winds, but valiantly blooming nonetheless!  Well one of them.  The other one has given up completely I think!

Finally the daffs are flowering!  These have been protected by the trees and the garden dyke so have had a good start.

And the willow trees are in full bud, all fluffy and gorgeous, starting to burst with pollen and fresh green leaves.

These ewes are waiting to lamb.  Very curious of those venturing onto the beach!

Here's looking at ewe!

The tide is a looong way out on this walk....

Earlier Button was snoozing in the sun.  I love how she has her paw wrapped round the window catch!

And more blue sky from the day before, plus fluffy clouds!

Oooops.......

I seem to have let my 10th anniversary as a blogger slip by this year!!  Here was my very first post in 2008 

I've always enjoyed my blog posts.  Some months, indeed years, are more prolific than others but I still love sharing my pictures and some of the stories with you all.  Thanks for "following" me (metaphorically speaking - not physically, that would just be weird!).

Merry Dancers.....

Towards the end of March there were some stunning displays of the Merry Dancers (Northern Lights/Aurora Borealis).  I never get good pictures so ask permission to use others!  Mr T from Imperfect & Tense kindly let me use a couple of his stills.

This is a picture of "Steve" an atmospheric phenomenon seen during an aurora.

And there is this beautiful timelapse taken by David Wishart and shared with permission.  Sit back and watch, it's slow at first but wow when it really gets going!!  I should say that camera lenses show much brighter colours than seen by the naked eye.  But I did see pale dancing green on this particular occassion.  And even if I don't see much colour I can see the dancing!

Last weekend......

....was Easter weekend.  I don't celebrate the religious significance but always think of it as a Spring festival.  So there were chocolate Easter eggs, and of course flowers.  I always try to have some daffodils in the house at Easter as that was Mum & Dad's wedding anniversary.  Neither could ever remember the date but as they got married on Easter Saturday that was always they day they celebrated their anniversary!  So in their memory I have daffs in a vase.

Spring is late throughout the UK and we are all longing for warm sunny days.  But the sun did shine last week and it was nice to be out and about.

There are lambs appearing in the fields too now.

The ewes and lambs are numbered so if they get separated the farmer knows who belongs to which!

This ewe had escaped and was wandering round.  She was trying to look fierce and prevent me getting in my car - she failed. Haha!  How can a sheep with a white top knot be taken seriously?

And.... we had SNOW at Easter!!!  Mostly just settling on the Hoy Hills.

Not that that stopped Madam Button from basking in the sunshine!

Fulmar pairs are back on the cliffs at the pier.  They are fantastic in the air, really acrobatic!

No Easter chicks, but Gimpy (Limpy) hen has been separated from the flock and put in a pen on hard ground.  She had an infected foot and it wasn't healing up in all the mud.  I put her sister, Wheezy Hen, with her for company.  They are both at least 6 years old and generally doing well.  Neither are thrilled at being confined but they are getting lots of extra treats like fruit and veg.  Hopefully when (if?) the land dries up they can both be released again.

Neighbour Sue helped construct the pen.  It is in the old Stable at Sandside where the working horse would have been kept.  So the sides are high, as is the manger.  A former owner of Sue's house used to keep pigeons and she had some frames from the coop in a shed which came in VERY handy as the doors!  Lots of hay, two nesting boxes and two reasonably comfy hens!

And then there was a beautiful sunset that evening.....