I don't know where this week has gone, it feels like I've been super busy. Although it's the last week of lockdown as we know it, the very definite line drawn between weekday and weekend has remained intact. Weekend time is for guilt free time spent doing what we want to do. Mostly, it's useful things or at least spending the time well. This spring will be another exciting one, but aren't they all? With plans to create a new planting area within the current lawn at home along with the long list of usual suspects of things to tackle it's going to be interesting. 

Primroses are now seen here and there.
 Two for joy, hurrah! If I see magpies, I'm counting them. So many single sods out there though.  Interesting fact; two days before my grandmother died I was crossing a busy road when I saw a solitary magpie far away on one side of the carriageway then looking the other way saw three a distance off. After successfully crossing the road I pondered on whether it would be sorrow and a girl, or just a boy. Turned out to be sorrow and a girl. Clever magpies.
Deer.
Even the first dandelion is a sight for sore eyes after winter. Hello to you.
Carpets of snowdrops won't have long left now.
Lesser celandine leaves are sprawling in ditches and their first few flowers appearing.
Dogs mercury in flower.

Even excitement to see chickweed.
Sparrow.
Winter heliotrope. Like natures bog brush.
The aconites have been lovely, fading now.

And finally a lesser celandine flower. 

 

Let there be light. It's fascinating the effect on everything light has. When you really consider the impact of the sun and the clouds it does boggle the mind. I personally feel the requirement to go outside and feel the benefit of the natural light, the air and the freshness that comes with it. Options and opportunities are far more limited over autumn and winter *shakes fist angrily and mutters obscenities* so to supplement by vitamin D intake I not only take my multivitamin chews as I have done for a good few years now, but also I've recommenced additional vitamin D with a mouth spray. They say that vitamin D is looking like something to mitigate Covid symptoms and I do believe that vitamin D has such an impact on me so quite honestly, the more the better. I used to attempt the tablets but I struggle with swallowing tablets and chewing them isn't all that pleasant so always look for other options. This isn't an ad by the way, just a wee waffle.

Above, no editing at all, just the curious colours of a narrow path through bare trees and a perfectly placed pile of fallen leaves. Looks like a spotlight.



Ah she's off snapping dead weeds again. Weird habit.




There's still a few fungi around if you look carefully.

Ah, a beauty of a fly agaric.




This one reminds me of a stack of jaffa cakes.




Hope you have a wonderful new week.

Faced with a whole day of rain it can put a real downer on things. Still, there is plenty to be getting on with indoors (and soon we won't have a choice with light levels dwindling). My constant suspicion of the people who love to welcome Autumn with open arms and shout about how much they love it is that they don't have to spend that long out in it. I can report that hours on end in the drizzle, rain and wind especially squelching around in the mud is a real drag which I would trade any day of the week for summer's hot sun. It's not all 20 minutes in a fluffy jacket sipping a pumpkin spiced latte  and kicking some rainbow of dry fallen leaves. *rant not nearly over, but paused for the time being in the interest of continuity*.

Above, I found this thorn apple plant growing. It's weird, with these conker like spiky balls and white trumpet shaped flowers like bindweed. The seeds are deadly poisonous so I doubt it's welcome anywhere.