Friday 9 June 2017

After The Rain ~~~

Hello Friends!

After the rain comes ~~~ more rain! We’ve taken quite a pasting with strong gales over the last few days, not only here in the west, but right across the country. At one time over one hundred twenty thousand {120,000} lightening strikes hit the southern counties of England and the northern coast of France in twelve hours! That must have been some show, and frightening if you do not like lightening.

We have had several days of strong winds, topping off at around 50~60mph, but at this time of year, when all the plants, big and small, from rose bushes and poppies right up to the big sycamores and lime trees, are in full flower and leaf, it all seems so much worse than during the winter months when there are few things to grasp the wind as it rips through the air. 

The garden, which was looking so pretty, is a bit of a mess ~~~pauses to dry tears~~~ many coloured rose petals are strewn beneath bushes; verbena bonariensis did not whip, but lie snapped and flat; not for the first time my delicate Oriental poppies resemble soggy, wet tissue paper, ink splotched with their dark pollen. Weeds, of course, flourish ~ did we expect them not to do so? The peonies and arum lilies are, thankfully, past their best but have since been helped on their way! 

One thing is sure ~ nature has a wonderful, magical way of recovering, and once this spate of nasty, inclement weather passes, I know all will be restored and a quick recovery should follow.

There has been enough rainfall to consider building an Ark. Put your name on the list and I’ll swing by to pick you up as the next round of torrential rain arrives from the Atlantic Ocean tomorrow!  There has certainly been no need to water and the raspberries are swelling magnificently now.

Yesterday, despite the cold, blowing wind, I managed a quick ramble out and about between the downpours which abated somewhat yesterday afternoon because I wanted to see what the wild foxgloves are doing. They are such a magnificent wildflower and probably my favourite {but then, so is gorse; and bluebells; and cowslips; and sea pinks; and ling too}. I was not disappointed, but I have seen better displays. Here are a few photographs of what I saw ~~~












On my way home, I saw a quick flash of movement in the hedge as Mamma Blue Tit flew quickly away from feeding her recently fledged baby.  Poor, drenched little mite as it is, it obligingly sat while I quickly took some pictures of it, and then began preening it's soaked feathers. I did not stay long, I did not want to stop Mamma from returning with yet more juicy bugs to feed what seems to be her only surviving baby ~~~















I feel immensely privileged to have shared these few intimate moments with such a sweet little creature of our planet.  Nature is magical, wonderful, pure and unashamedly so.

Until next time ~~~

~~~Deborah xo

25 comments:

  1. We have had so much rain here as well the flowers have took a real battering, it gives it nice the next few days luckily, our garden is thriving I shall post some photos next week. You are so right nature is so magical, how wonderful to see the sweet little blue tit, I have been watching Spring watch do you watch it? Hopefully when we put down roots I can spend more time enjoying Mother Earth x

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    1. We have much more rain coming in from tonight through Sunday. I will not be able to tidy the garden or mow now until Monday at the earliest.
      No, I no longer watch Springwatch, not since Kate Humble left. Look forward to seeing you photos soon! xo

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  2. Beautiful photos of the foxgloves and young blue tit. Foxgloves are one of my favourites too. Lots of rain here too but no thunderstorms. Hanging baskets and wildflower meadow have taken a bit of a battering but hopefully they will recover.

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    1. Thank you. We escaped the lightening here too, but I love thunderstorms! Your flowers should recover, nature is good at that.

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  3. Lovely baby blue tit pictures. Mum Blue tit will probably have another brood before long.
    No foxgloves wild in Suffolk - shame, but we have 2 in the garden or I should say we HAD two, they are a bit battered now. Think the weekend should be almost OK here.

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    1. Thank you. Yes, I'm sure there will be more chicks to come later. It will make up for our new neighbour bulldozing his trees and shrubs while birds are still nesting. Our weekend looks dismal! Oh, well ~~~

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  4. Beautiful colors in those flowers! Poor little birdie! He was very brave to sit still so long while you took all those images. Sending you hopes for drier days ahead!

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    1. Thank you. Oh, I didn't stay long, probably a minute or two ~ I didn't want to keep his Mamma away from his side!

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  5. Let's hope for some calm weather now. We have some lovely foxgloves too . The shots of the baby blue tit are fantastic.

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    1. Thank you. We have more of the same today and tomorrow. It's currently blowing and tipping!

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  6. Precious fledgling moments captured so beautifully.

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  7. Lovely photos of the magical place you live in. Thanks for a peek into your world.

    Love and hugs,
    Darlene

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    1. Thank you my friend. One day I'll walk you around here in person! xoxo

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  8. Oh Deb, your wild foxgloves are so lovely standing proudly to reach the hopeful sunshine. You have captured a charming baby blue tit waiting for its mother. I agree it is a privilege to observe nature in such tender moments. It was not wasted on you, my friend. Thank you for sharing this magical moment.
    Our storms have past and now we are gearing up for the hot, humid summer that we are all too familiar with. Have a nice weekend. xoxo ♥

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    1. Thank you so much. Well, we are sitting in more of the same ~ wind and rain again! Ugh, how I remember all too well, and not at all fondly, that dire heat and humidity! It will pass, eventually. xoxo

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  9. Dear Deb, as your ark lifts off and floats on the high waters, I can assure you that you will hit dry land here! I will watch for you.
    I loved the foxgloves and especially that tiny tit. My barn swallows fledged last weekend and momma should soon begin batch #2. Getting hot here......I mean hot!
    I am off to the vet first thing this morning, BB3 has injured her shoulder or leg. She is the most accident prone cat, which explains why she only has one eye.
    Chris W. Knickerbocker, TX

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    1. Thank you ~ oh! how I miss the swallows since the 'townie' neighbours took down the shed where they nested in favour of a parking space ~sighs~
      Poor BB3, hope she {and you} get on all right at the vets. xo

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  10. Oh Deb, I love your photos! I planted some Foxglove in "Kelly's Garden" and they're are doing so well among the Hydrangeas. We've had a lot of rain too this spring, but I imagine it's gearing up for the hot, humid summer! XOXO

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    1. Thank you. I'm glad your Foxglove are doing well in "Kelly's Garden"
      You did well to return home before the weather of the last week, which has been fairly naughty! xoxo

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  11. Lovely captures after the storm! Be careful when lightning is near. It can travel quite a distance even when the thunder says it's miles away. A fellow here in New York State was struck inside his office when it came through the light switch!

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    1. Thank you. Yes, one can never be too careful with nature. A well placed lightening strike blew out half the internet connections in the peninsula for a fortnight about four years back.

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  12. Oh what a sweet little bird! Lovely pictures. Here we had some rain last week, now it is back to dry and is getting warmer and warmer.

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    1. Thank you. We are still waiting for summer in the west ~ chilly enough out there today for a sweater at times!

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  13. Glorious photos of that baby. It looks very new- possible that older members of the brood are now independent so hopefully it's not the sole survivor. Foxgloves less abundant here this year, but still beautiful. Lovely post.

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    1. Thank you. Foxgloves not as abundant here, but apparently a few miles away they are spectacular!

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