Tuesday 28 April 2015

Today;


If ever there were a spring day so perfect,
so uplifted by a warm intermittent breeze


that it made you want to throw
open all the windows in the house


and unlatch the door to the canary's cage,
indeed, rip the little door from its jamb,


a day when the cool brick paths
and the garden bursting with peonies


seemed so etched in sunlight
that you felt like taking


a hammer to the glass paperweight
on the living room end table,


releasing the inhabitants
from their snow-covered cottage


so they could walk out,
holding hands and squinting


into this larger dome of blue and white,
well, today is just that kind of day.


How lovely it is to look out of the window and see trees bursting into life. It’s still cold at night and there has been the odd drop of rain, but it’s generally warm and sunny. The words I've used here are from a poem called Today by Billy Collins.  If you would like to find out more about him there is an excellent biography at The Poetry Foundation.  Most of the photographs are from our garden, although the first one was taken at Barrington Court and the last three while walking around the village where we live. The blackbird is a daily visitor and a very welcome one.   


Some of my favourite online destinations are looking very spring like just now – first up Milly & Dottie’s Emporium a vintage treasure house. 



Lots of cute vintage treasures at Crave Cute



Delightful art prints from Winter Moon at Society6 


Once you've visited Milly & Dottie, Crave Cute and Winter Moon don’t forget to come back and visit me here at March of Time Books.  

Pookie by Ivy Wallace

41 comments:

  1. Today looks like a beautiful day and Pookie sounds adorable!

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    1. You are right on both counts Eve. Thanks for coming over, Barbara.

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  2. What are you going on about....I've got 4ft of snow
    outside my home..! HeHe! That'll get ya go'in...! :).

    AND...The flowers are lovely..lovely...All except the
    daffodils...I~Don't~Do~Daffodils...Hate'm. There
    poisonous..And, kill any flower you mix them in with'
    O.K. in fields..hedgerows...Fine! But! Not in my home.
    Don't do cut flowers anyway...You reduce a flowers life
    by a half, by cutting it...According to Monty Don...!

    But! But! But! I do love those pink ones..Third pic down.
    Yes! What are they...See! No listings..Don't know, what's
    what! :). Some kind of blossom! Who knows! The old man
    of the mountain knows...That's who! Bless!

    Oh! A rabbit with wings...Now that sounds interesting..Mind
    you his thighs look a bit big..! HeHe! Bertie the Springer, who
    lives next door came round this morn'in, with a bunny in his
    mouth, as he usually does, just back from the farm. No wings
    on that bunny! :>)

    Lovely post Barbara...Sorry! I do go off on one...Feeling like a
    million dollars to~day...All green and crinkly...And the lord said
    unto Moses.....!!!
    =^o.o^=

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    1. Hehe Willie, you do make me laugh. I hope you built a snowman while you had the chance! We didn’t get any snow, but we did get pelted with hailstones when we walked to Stalbridge. It didn’t last long, but it was enough to make us seek shelter in Dikes – the bacon sandwiches and cups of tea went down well!

      That Monty Don knows all there is to know about gardening, and he is right about daffodils, but I do love them so. The pink flower is a weeping cherry tree (a Prunus Kiku-shidare-zakura) if I’m not mistaken. It was a picture prior to the aforementioned hailstones, now most of the blossom is on the floor, such a shame, but it will be back next year.

      Do you know I’ve never given a thought to Pookies rather large thighs, but now you mention it… I rather wish Bertie’s bunny had been able to fly away – wings on rabbits would be a good thing!

      You always make me feel like a million dollars Willie – but I would rather not be called green and crinkly! Ta ta thanks for visiting.

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  3. Hello Barbara! Well what a delight this is! Your photos of the gardens and wildlife are just gorgeous! Your writing that accompanies them is so poetic, I loved reading every bit! We had a stunning day such as you describe yesterday, today the clouds have moved in with the promise of some much needed rain. Thank you for including my little Chicks Salt and Pepper Shakers. Pookie and his friends are adorable! You've really made my day with this cheery post! ~ Diane

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    1. Hi Diane, thank you for those sweet words. I always enjoy browsing the treasures in your shop and wanted to share them. Thanks for calling over and leaving a comment. Barbara.

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  4. What a gorgeous blog post!
    I'm completely flattered to have a mention, thank you Barbara ♥

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    1. Thank you so much Yvonne, I was a little worried about using your photo and am relieved it’s OK.

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  5. What lovely photographs. Spring really is a special time of year, isn't it?

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    1. Hello Heather, it really is! I just love the spring, but then I’m also rather fond of summer and autumn. Winter I could do without, but then I might not appreciate the other seasons quite so much.

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  6. I love seeing the flowers. I especially love the pink blossoms, and then the bird in them.

    I hope this year our garden will continue to bloom. The grasshoppers massacred everything last year, but so far our trees and flowers are doing well for the first time. (Fingers Crossed. The summer weather isn't fully here yet).

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    1. Thank you Kristin, our garden is a pale shadow of your lovely grounds but the flowers are pretty so I thought I would share them. We don’t get problems with grasshoppers, but we do get a lot of slugs and aphids both of which do a lot of damage. Thanks for your visit.

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  7. Replies
    1. Thank you sister Sue, glad you enjoyed it. xxxx

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  8. A delight to read as usual and how lovely to see a 'proper' Bluebell.

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    1. Hello John, there are lots of bluebells in the hedgerows around us, and we’ve also found a bluebell wood. It’s a fight to get to as it is surrounded by brambles (shades of sleeping beauty!) and stinging nettles but its worth the struggle to be among the bluebells. It reminds me of growing up at Well. I spent hours and hours playing in the woods and used to go home with armfuls of bluebells for mum. Not something I would do now of course but back then bluebells were everywhere. Have you ever though how strange it is that we revere the bluebell but not the dandelion? A field of dandelions is a sight to behold – just don’t want them in the lawn! Barbara x

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  9. Dear Barbara what a lovely post and the photos are beautiful. I especially love the one with the blackbird. It has been sunny here also but a bit nippy and there has been some frost too. But I love this time of the year too. It is so wonderous to see new growth and the birds busy feeding their young ones.

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    1. Hello Shashi, that blackbird is so cheeky he sits on our back door step and demands to be fed several times a day, but we love to see him and run to do his bidding! It’s been nippy here at night and a cold wind some days, but mostly it’s been warm and sunny. Not so for the Bank Holiday weekend though I’m afraid rain is forecast. Still ( as my dad would say) the garden can do with it! I think you must be visiting your mum soon, if that is the case have a safe journey. x

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  10. What beautiful photos, such a breath of Spring, as here, although we've sun at the moment, the other side of the house is dark, bringing more rain showers and making the North facing house even darker. So your photos are very cheery!


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    1. Hi Anne Marie, it’s a bit like that here today. One minute the sun is out the next it goes very dark and looks much as though it will rain. I need to do my daily walk via the Post Office, so I think I will set off before it really does rain. Thanks for calling in, Barbara.

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  11. Do you know my friend, that BILLY COLLINS was in our town in February? I went to his poetry reading and sat FRONT ROW CENTER, literally under his nose! HAHAHHAHAH

    I got to speak to him, and he signed two of his books that I had purchased. I believe I've read all of his works by now, and his simple yet brilliant poetry has to be my favorite style. Yes, that is THIS kind of day so far.

    We are indeed behind all the other states of the union, but little by little, color is returning. This weekend, I am going to clean up my garden so our plants can have a fresh start.

    The lovely shares today are precious...those yellow chicks and of course, the vintage book cover make me smile. Anita

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    1. Hello Anita, I think you must have mentioned Billy Collins in one of your comments on my blog. I can’t think how else I knew the name. When I was looking for something to accompany these pictures, his name appeared in my mind. I think you must have said you were going to see him, or if it wasn’t you, it was someone else. I love the words of this poem and am determined to hunt out one of his books.

      Enjoy your gardening; I hope the sun shines for you. Much love Barbara x

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  12. Happy Spring to you and yours Barbara!! he flowers are so lovely.

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    1. Happy Spring back Darlene, I hope there are lots of flowers in your life right now.

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  13. Such beautiful pictures. How lovely that so many of them are from your garden. Lucky you! :) The colors are so cheerful. Thanks for sharing. Happy spring!

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    1. Hello Stephanie, our garden is always at its best in the spring. It tends to ‘go over’ a bit as the summer approaches so we like to make the best of it while we can. Glad you liked the photos. Happy spring.

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  14. Hi Barbara
    How strange your post is about Pookie the White rabbit... When I was a child it was a family tradition to say White Rabbit on the first day of May.... It had to be done as soon as you woke up and before you uttered any other word. Was your post just a coincidence or do you have a similar tradition In your house?
    Bye for now, Frances x

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    1. Hello Frances, we did have a similar tradition, but I must admit the post was a coincidence. We used to say, “Pinch, punch, first of the month and no return White Rabbit”. I wonder how the tradition started and what on earth it means - I must look it up. Have a lovely weekend, Barbara

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    2. PS. The internet is a wonderful thing; a quick search came up with this -

      Originating from old England times when people thought that witches existed. People thought that salt would make a witch weak, so the pinch part is pinching of the salt, and the punch part was to banish the witch. The witch would be weak from the salt so the punch was to banish her.
      According to playground rules, your pinch and punch has to be followed immediately with the words, "White rabbits, no return". By saying so, it means you can't be pinched back.
      The exact origin of the superstition is unknown, though it was recorded in Notes & Queries as being said by children in 1909.

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  15. So lovely and refreshing.

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  16. Daffodils are my favorites!! I always enjoy your beautiful photos.

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  17. Replies
    1. Thanks so much Kelly, I’m happy to know you enjoyed it. Barbara.

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  18. How can I miss it !!
    Its the complete spring post ... the sunniest and the best-est ever !
    Loved it to bits ... your words are complimenting the images ...my mind is reeling from images you have posted and from images the words have conjured up ..
    I am in a great hurry Barbara to go to carve cute and to Billy Collins for more such ....
    Thanks for the lovely post and the link :)
    PS. you indeed live in the pettiest English village/town I can imagine :)

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    1. Dear Kokila, we do live in a very pretty village. I must take some photos of the streets and the church one day and share them on my blog.
      I hope you enjoyed your visits to Billy Collins and to Diane at Crave Cute, I’m sure you will have done. I can’t claim any credit for the words; I just shared them because I love them so! Have a wonderful day, Barbara

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  19. Hello Barbara, Came across your post shared by Kokila. Its a beautiful world you live in. The words and pictures are mesmerizing.

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    1. Hello Somali, thanks so much for calling in and leaving such a sweet comment. It was really kind of Kokila to share my post.

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  20. dear Barbara it seems like I have been away from your blog for ages. i know I already commented on this post but just had to say that the catkins? Not sure what they are called look exactly like a bushy tail of a squirrel:-)

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    1. Hello Shashi, you are quite right about them being catkins and about them looking like the tail of a squirrel. I love the little squirrel on your blog – we have a spring theme going on between us at the moment! Have a lovely day, Barbara.

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I really appreciate your comment. Thank you!
Barbara xx