Pam_m
Well-known member
Hi Folks,
The excellent thread ‘Pondlife’ by Tony (Mahsleb) made me think of things I have missed out on this summer due to the wet and cool if not cold at times weather.
Firstly my fish pond. I have spent very little time sat on the bench during the day or evening relaxing by the pond and watching the fish and the various creatures that are usually on or around the pond! I have for the most part just fed the fish and checked they are doing ok as they are ageing now, and on better days pond maintenance but not much time to sit and relax and enjoy the tranquil setting! The flowers on the lillies have been abundant this year, a warm April seemed to ignite their growth and the flowers have been superb and plentiful! I have had to remove a lot of the lily pads though as they had almost cut out all the daylight of the pond! Lack of Dragon and Damselfly has been very noticeable.
The Hedgehogs we have visit we have seldom seen these last few weeks, as with all the rain they have had an abundance of snail’s and slug’s! They leave their calling card though so we know they are still around! This last week or so of dry weather has been different, they have come for their food supplement at dusk giving us a chance to see them. Lovely creatures!
The birds are eating anything and everything, I have bought more seed through Spring and Summer than I did the whole of the wintertime. I am sure the mail order delivery man thinks I have a stall selling it on somewhere. There are apple windfalls on the lawn, I cannot decide if they are late ‘June drop’ or early ‘Autumn’ windfalls. Whatever, the Blackbirds are enjoying them! They are also starting on the Rowan berries, the colour of the berries look like bright red decorations on a Christmas tree when the sun shines on them! I hope the blackbirds leave a few for the autumn though!
My Wildflower garden has not flourished as last year, the flowers are struggling but hopefully with the warmer drier weather they will soon flourish and delight us with their subtle and not so subtle colours! The Annuals and Perennials have flourished though, so too the dreaded weeds!
I have had Greenfinches eating the buds off the flower heads of a Smoke bush (Cotinus), I have never seen them do this before…so my smoke bush will not look as smoky as normal! Oh well as long as the birds enjoyed them!
During the heavy rains I set up my tripod in the conservatory and took ‘time out’ during my day to attach the scope and focus on the feeders. This I found turned out to be one bonus of the rainy weather. I sat many a day studying the birds in greater detail than I had ever done before. The Greenfinch juveniles with their soft expression, compared to the adults with their scowl. The warm brown eye of the Dunnock which I had failed to notice before. The plumage of the birds in greater detail…all added to cheer a rainy day. I still take ‘time out’ even though the weather has improved, after all the birds are still feeding and what a joy they are to see in close detail!
The thread ‘95% despair’ started by Maurice last night made me reflect on some of my above observations of this summer. I am fit and well enough to go ‘out and about’ in rain or shine but there are many who have to take advantage of a ‘good day’ to do the same. Then again most of us have a garden or at least a window to sit by and can watch the Flora and Fauna and hopefully derive a lot of pleasure from just viewing! My observations above stretch no further than my own garden.
Have you missed out or benefited from the rainy start to Summer? I feel mine is a combination of both.
Finally I cannot finish without a thought or two for the people who have and still are suffering the effects of the floods. I hope their lives will be back to normal sooner rather than later and hopefully steps will be taken by the appropriate authorities to lessen the chances of such devastation happening again.
So my thoughts are with these good people and everyone else who at present is going through a difficult period in their lives known only to themselves or family and friends.
I wish you all sunny and happier days ahead.
A short poem by one of my favourites poets to finish on.
Take A Little Time.
Take a little time for seeing
Grass and blooms with dew impearled.
Take a little time for being
Quiet in your own small world…
Take a little time for sowing
Flowers amongst life’s many weeds
Some day you will see them glowing,
Growing from the hidden seeds.
Patience Strong
The excellent thread ‘Pondlife’ by Tony (Mahsleb) made me think of things I have missed out on this summer due to the wet and cool if not cold at times weather.
Firstly my fish pond. I have spent very little time sat on the bench during the day or evening relaxing by the pond and watching the fish and the various creatures that are usually on or around the pond! I have for the most part just fed the fish and checked they are doing ok as they are ageing now, and on better days pond maintenance but not much time to sit and relax and enjoy the tranquil setting! The flowers on the lillies have been abundant this year, a warm April seemed to ignite their growth and the flowers have been superb and plentiful! I have had to remove a lot of the lily pads though as they had almost cut out all the daylight of the pond! Lack of Dragon and Damselfly has been very noticeable.
The Hedgehogs we have visit we have seldom seen these last few weeks, as with all the rain they have had an abundance of snail’s and slug’s! They leave their calling card though so we know they are still around! This last week or so of dry weather has been different, they have come for their food supplement at dusk giving us a chance to see them. Lovely creatures!
The birds are eating anything and everything, I have bought more seed through Spring and Summer than I did the whole of the wintertime. I am sure the mail order delivery man thinks I have a stall selling it on somewhere. There are apple windfalls on the lawn, I cannot decide if they are late ‘June drop’ or early ‘Autumn’ windfalls. Whatever, the Blackbirds are enjoying them! They are also starting on the Rowan berries, the colour of the berries look like bright red decorations on a Christmas tree when the sun shines on them! I hope the blackbirds leave a few for the autumn though!
My Wildflower garden has not flourished as last year, the flowers are struggling but hopefully with the warmer drier weather they will soon flourish and delight us with their subtle and not so subtle colours! The Annuals and Perennials have flourished though, so too the dreaded weeds!
I have had Greenfinches eating the buds off the flower heads of a Smoke bush (Cotinus), I have never seen them do this before…so my smoke bush will not look as smoky as normal! Oh well as long as the birds enjoyed them!
During the heavy rains I set up my tripod in the conservatory and took ‘time out’ during my day to attach the scope and focus on the feeders. This I found turned out to be one bonus of the rainy weather. I sat many a day studying the birds in greater detail than I had ever done before. The Greenfinch juveniles with their soft expression, compared to the adults with their scowl. The warm brown eye of the Dunnock which I had failed to notice before. The plumage of the birds in greater detail…all added to cheer a rainy day. I still take ‘time out’ even though the weather has improved, after all the birds are still feeding and what a joy they are to see in close detail!
The thread ‘95% despair’ started by Maurice last night made me reflect on some of my above observations of this summer. I am fit and well enough to go ‘out and about’ in rain or shine but there are many who have to take advantage of a ‘good day’ to do the same. Then again most of us have a garden or at least a window to sit by and can watch the Flora and Fauna and hopefully derive a lot of pleasure from just viewing! My observations above stretch no further than my own garden.
Have you missed out or benefited from the rainy start to Summer? I feel mine is a combination of both.
Finally I cannot finish without a thought or two for the people who have and still are suffering the effects of the floods. I hope their lives will be back to normal sooner rather than later and hopefully steps will be taken by the appropriate authorities to lessen the chances of such devastation happening again.
So my thoughts are with these good people and everyone else who at present is going through a difficult period in their lives known only to themselves or family and friends.
I wish you all sunny and happier days ahead.
A short poem by one of my favourites poets to finish on.
Take A Little Time.
Take a little time for seeing
Grass and blooms with dew impearled.
Take a little time for being
Quiet in your own small world…
Take a little time for sowing
Flowers amongst life’s many weeds
Some day you will see them glowing,
Growing from the hidden seeds.
Patience Strong
You have me worried for your safety now though, do be careful on that bathroom chair Rose :eek!: What a vantage point though to see the whole of your garden! As you say "just a few moments" is what we all need to step back from the hurly burly of life, and "Golden moments" what a wonderful phrase, a phrase I will certainly think of in future!
