Friday 1 April 2022

While the Sun Shines

It is gloriously sunny but it's deceiving, as it is bitterly cold just now. Although there isn't any snow on the ground, we're getting occasional wintry showers and it is fairly windy. Quite a change from the last two weekends, when we were lucky enough to experience some wonderfully warm spring weather. My winter clothes were even cast aside for a brief moment and I spent a day in short sleeves! As someone who feels the cold so very easily, this felt like quite an achievement for this time of year ;)

It has felt great to be throwing the windows wide open and letting in some fresh air each morning, so it came as quite a surprise to see a road gritter driving past yesterday, then I needed to break the ice on the bird feeding station and container pond this morning. I am still getting lots of feathered visitors to the garden, so much so that I recently needed to splurge on a huge container of fat balls - they were getting through them so quickly!  Although the nesting box still remains empty, so I will just need to keep my fingers firmly crossed for next year.  

With the overnight frosts we've had, I'm glad I decided to hold off from sowing the wildflower seeds, but I am relieved to have finally got around to cutting back the hedges and the overgrown holly tree. They had begun to get out of hand. I've even treated myself to some new loppers, so I've no excuse not to keep on top of them going forward. As well as the fritillary, there are some hyacinths and muscari in the flower beds now, and it is lovely to finally see some colour beginning to show in the garden. The tulips are biding their time. I had been curious as to why the lobelia had struggled to establish itself last season, until I noticed Mog lying right across it just the other day. Typical!







A while ago now, I made a promise to myself that this would be the year I would get back up Helvellyn, I just never expected it to be quite this early in the season. But the recent mild spring weather meant the conditions would be perfect, and it was too good an opportunity to miss. As you might expect, it was still chilly on the very top but the views were stunning. The pathway up from Thirlmere was fairly quiet, with many, instead, using the more favourable conditions to walk along Striding Edge (perhaps one day, when I'm feeling brave enough). Of course we rounded off the day with a dip in the stream.






Then, as luck would have it, the following weekend we enjoyed another day on the fells. This time we climbed alongside Raise Beck and walked up to Dollywagon Pike, via Grisedale Tarn.

It has been wonderful to take advantage of this lovely sunny weather, especially as it looks set to change again over the coming week. Today is my last day at work before the spring break, and next weekend should see me looking out over some rather different views.

J. X













44 comments:

  1. Your flowers are looking lovely and the views along your walks are stunning as always! Enjoy your spring break!

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    1. Thank you, Bless. I hope I can relax a little during my time off. X

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  2. The change in the weather is unbelievable isn't it, we even had some snow here on the coast which is unusual for us. Beautiful views on your walks and enjoy your time away wherever you may be.

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    1. It was quite a contrast to the warm sunshine we had been enjoying, but the weather can often surprise us at this time of year. X

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  3. I bet that dip was rather bracing Jules! x

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    1. The water was rather fresh! Thankfully it was only feet which were dipped on this occasion. X

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  4. The unexpectedly warm weather was great, I spent the best part of a week walking the dogs and going to work without wearing a jacket, and I got loads of washing done and line dried. It's a gorgeous morning again now but bitterly cold in comparison. I love your pink flowers and the views are wonderful as always. Enjoy your break and I'll look forward to seeing some of those different views soon :)

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    1. It has been so lovely hasn't it. And hopefully just a hint of the warmer spring days yet to come. X

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  5. The weather has been changeable in the extreme, crazy. Oh Mog! Typical cat lying somewhere warm, it shows the ground is warming up though. Such beautiful views and stunning photos. Enjoy your holiday, Cathy x

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    1. It might just be coincidence, but the lobelia hasn't grown at all in the last couple of years :)

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  6. It's been wonderful to have such beautiful weather so early in the year, though it's hard to believe that we were walking around in T-shirts last week yet the garden has had a covering of snow these past couple of days. The jumpers have been pulled back out of the wardrobe! Enjoy your spring break, I hope we get some nice weather back while you're off.

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    1. It is especially welcome when the sunshine coincides with the weekends. X

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  7. It's such a good feeling to know that two weeks holiday are almost here. Yay! Let's hope Spring returns in its warm sunshine glory. Lovely views in your post. And flowers. X

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    1. Thank you, Shazza. I am looking forward to some relaxed days at home. X

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  8. Your grape hyacinths are lovely, isn't the blue colour amazing, I love them altho a friend of mine hates them as they so spread readily, more the merrier I say. Mine are just in bud, but the daffodils are now over, so time to 'cut off their heads!!'

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    1. The muscari are some of my favourites, especially as they bring an early splash of colour to the garden. X

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  9. Beautiful photos of so many familiar places. I do love trying to work out where you photos are of. The warmer weather was wonderful wasn't a special treat for a week or so but this week has been a little of a shock in comparison! I do hope you enjoy too two week break, it sounds you are going away somewhere, I do hope you have a lovely time wherever you are going x

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    1. I expect you will recognise most of the images in this post :) The weather was just perfect for a walk up Helvellyn, which was why I seized the opportunity. It can get rather crowded there during the summer months. X

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  10. Are you able to grow fritillaries in your garden? I have never been successful but I do love them.

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    1. I was lucky enough to be gifted the fritillary at the beginning of the first lockdown - the garden centre needed to get rid of them! X

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  11. My dad loved Helvellyn, we'd always leave him to climb it while me, mum and my brother would rummage in secondhand bookshops and junk shops.
    The sky looks glorious in your photos and I'm envious of your snakes heads, no sign of ours yet!
    Enjoy your hols, fingers crossed the weather improves. xxx

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    1. Helvellyn is a cracking little walk, better still if you approach it from Glenridding.
      I was thrilled to see the fritillary return again this year. I was advised to be careful not to remove the weed like shoots in early spring. X

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  12. I am always so thankful you share the beautiful photos you do. I feel like I am visiting a place I may never get to see in person. Our weather is back and forth too! I know Pennsylvania well enough that although tempted, I never pack the boots away until May! Have a cozy weekend.

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    1. The weather is usually unpredictable at this time of year. It looked to be a different season each time I opened the door yesterday. Xx

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  13. Lovely flowers.... :-)

    And more beautiful views of your area.

    Sounds like you have a little get-away planned.

    Enjoy and travel safely...

    🌸🌱🌺 Little Break 🌺🌱🌸

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    1. Thank you. I'm having just a few days away but I'm looking forward to it. X

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  14. Stunning photos, it's lovely to see those blue skies and how lovely to have so many beautiful places to walk almost on your doorstep. I think you were very brave to take a dip, it must have been freezing! Yes I managed to do a bit of tidying in the garden too, nearly all my Springs bulbs have finished flowering but all of the tulips apart from one haven't flowered at all yet. Let's hope the weather warms up again for your Spring break. Have a lovely weekend. Xx

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    1. Thank you, Linda. It was a paddle rather than a full dip, I'll keep that for the summer months :)
      The weather looks mixed for the next few weeks but at least I've plenty to be getting on with at home. Xx

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  15. Stunning photos.Good to get out and admire that Stunning scenery,but a dip in the water,whaaat.Love those flowers,you have been busy in the garden.I too have bought loads of Fat Balls,but the Big Birds,like Crows and Rooks keep stealing them.Happy Weekend.By the way it is Freeeeezing here.xxx

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    1. We get a lot of Starlings here, especially if I put out some mealworms. X

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  16. Gorgeous :-) What photos :-) What a nice tour :-)
    Thanks. It's a pleasure to be there... just my thing. What a beautiful landscape. Enjoyment.
    Many greetings to you. We already had spring here with the most amazing temperatures, but snow came last night... but spring is coming back.
    Many greetings to you from Viola.

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    1. Thank you, Viola. Yes, it has since turned much colder again here. X

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  17. Oooh, that dip is one way to wake up the tootsies! Halvellyn looks amazing. I had to look up Striding Edge - wow - I see what you mean :0 :0 :0 Your Snakeshead frilillaries are brill and how funny about the no grow mog patch. You have reminded me that I too need to tackle an overgrown Holly tree. Enjoy your spring break Jules xXx

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    1. Wake them up or freeze them - I'm not sure which :)
      Thank you, Lulu. I just hope spring returns very soon. X

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  18. Beautiful photographs.
    Our weather has got so much cooler and we've even had some wintry snow flurries ...

    Enjoy your April days.

    All the best Jan

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    1. Thank you, Jan. We were so lucky with the weather on both occasions. X

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  19. Those few sunny days were glorious and like you said - the wintry weather has made a return visit! I was delighted to see my fritillary up (finally) as last year we did some major garden upheavals and I was rather worried that we'd disturbed them.
    The day I did Helvellyn - it was sunny at it's foot and blizzards on the top where the sheep tried to mug us for our sandwiches ... still scarred by it now! 😁😁

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    1. Thanks to some useful advice from Jayne, I have been careful not to disturb the fritillary, and have been rewarded by them growing back for the last two years, at least.
      I have seen some very different images of Helvellyn's summit over this last week - cloud cover, snow, and temperatures of -14 with the wind chill factor! I've yet to be mugged by a sheep, however. X

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  20. wow your photos are stunning, Helvellyn looks wonderful!

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    1. Thank you, Jill. The views from the summit are beautiful. X

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  21. AMAZING pictures of a amazing landscape and nature! Wow!
    Have a great week and take care...
    Titti

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    1. Thank you, Titti. I feel very fortunate to live where I do. X

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  22. Wonderful pictures again Jules. It has been many years since I climbed Helvellyn and walked across Striding edge with some friends. It brought back happy memories, so thank you for that.

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    1. You were brave to walk along Striding Edge. I hope I will manage it one day. X

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