THE RAMBLINGS OF A STRUGGLING ARTIST ON LIFE WITH TWO TERRIERS, A PONY WITH ISSUES AND OTHER WILDLIFE AND BIRDS THAT CROSS OUR PATH

10 March 2013

THE SNOW IS BACK AND HELLEBORES AT LAST


First I'd really like to thank all of you who commented on the last post for your support and kind words. It made a huge difference and I'm enormously grateful. I have new avenues to explore and strength to continue.

Today at about 11.00am, it started to snow and didn't stop till about 4.00pm. It has settled on the moorland grass but was starting to melt as the sun went down. However, a neighbour mentioned an amber snow warning for tonight.....here we go again. Here are some pictures of the birds in the snow today; I fed them twice.

Chaffinches:






Mad Robin:


Melancholy Magpie:


I'm beginning to wonder if I'll ever see Betty or the rest of the herd again. I do miss them. These two greys are familiar but they don't look in foal to me. This time last year there were at least five or six mares looking huge. Oh well, time will tell.





Yesterday was clearer and here are a few pictures I took out and about:



Lone spawn in quite a sensible location


One of the protective geldings and Snippet, but without our herd


A tiny lichen garden in the crevice of a rock


Usnea lichen or Old Man's Beard on a Hawthorn tree in Trigger's field

Trigger was fabulous on Friday whilst having his feet trimmed. Affectionate in an unusual way and perfectly behaved, almost as if he knows. It was great to spend time with him without being in a rush, in pouring rain or rushing round the field trying to repair divots in the limited space. 

Before the snow, I was thrilled to see my Hellebores starting to flower. I have been trying to grow them for years, always from pups from friends or family and never with any success. This time I dug out some small but established plants from my Mum's garden and I smile whenever I pass them now. Small victories. Until next time................here it is.





21 comments:

  1. The Hellebores is beautiful! I have never seen one before. Love the bird with it's wings up! And I feel like the Magpie.

    Would the herd be in a different location?

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  2. That's the one i have growing in my paddock! Don't know its name though.

    Sorry to hear you have snow again. We have avoided it, but boy, is that wind nasty-cold - and still blowing half a gale out there as I type.

    The little litchen with the fairy-trumpets grows a lot around here too (similar wetness I presume).

    I have frog spawn here in both ponds - I have NEVER seen so much - and I thought last year was impressive for amounts! About a dozen frogs still in each pond, and can be spotted in flagrente on occasion . . .

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  3. The Hellebore is beautiful and you have the best bird photos. My little point and click does not get such great photos. The little robin is so sweet.

    cheers, parsnip

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  4. I thought of you when I heard the amber warning. Hope it's not as bad as that. Cold off the moor, but the flurries are not settling (yet).

    Love the robin.

    Hellebore, yeah!!

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  5. What lovely photos! I'm sorry that your snow has come again, but I hope that your herd and springtime will come very soon!!

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  6. I do hope your herd swings by soon. Are you allowed to take horses out onto the moor? Could trigger become a walking companion? Another website I visit has a horse that goes out with its owner, but walked beside, not ridden. Just a thought.

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  7. Beautiful 'Lenten Rose.' Your weather doesn't look like a nice time to be outside--books and tea by the fire instead.
    English Robins--as you likely know--are rather different than in America.

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  9. I've had to delete what was, on thew face of it, a very nice comment, but also contained many offers of cheap flight to the Middle East in case you were wondering!

    Gail - I'm feeling a bit Magpie-ish too!

    BB - There does seem to be a huge amount of spawn around doesn't there.

    So far no major snow but, looking out of the window, I think putting the washing out may have been an error....

    Parsnip - Getting the Robin with his wings up was pure fluke of course!

    Rusty D - More flurries on the way I fear and it was so sunny ten minutes ago!

    Kim - I thought Spring was here last week but was very wrong about that!

    Virginia - I do take Trigger for walks but he gets very frisky in the wind. Better in Summer. At the moment we're walking round the big field that a local farmer rents out for silage which suits better. I wouldn't trust him to come back if I let him off the lead!

    MM - I think your Robins are much bigger aren't they? Definitely tea by the fir when I get back from walking Snippet out there. It's minus five degrees centigrade out there before factoring in the wind chill.....not sure what that is in Fahrenheit.

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  10. We have a very cruel wind chill of minus seven or eight with a few snow flurries now and again, so different from the beginning of last week. Love the birdy photos especially the Robin. Lovely Hellebore too. I haven't braved the cold to go and check mine yet.

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  11. The hellebores are back looking dead again today thanks to the weather!

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  12. Apologies for the late comment but I've been away for a few days and I am only just starting to catch up with blogs. I was so so sorry to read about your worries with Trigger and read about the traumatic time you have had. He looks a beautiful horse and I really do hope you find a solution very soon. With all the love and care you give Trigger I hope you can perhaps find a solution involving a companion.

    On today's post some beautiful photos. I adore the lichen garden :) Pleased to hear you have finally had some success with hellebores - I've never had much luck with them either in the past :(

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  13. Glad I'm not the only one who's had problems! Lovely to hear from you.

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  14. I love that lichan garden - and am envious of that hellebore - ours are still in bud. We too have snow but at least we know it will not last for long at this time of the year.

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  15. True. Easter is pending and it's usually HOT in those school holidays. I'm hoping anyway!

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  16. I come to your blog for a glimpse into a very different world form mine.
    So misty and glorious and bird filled. We don't get much in the way of bird life here.
    As for the ponies...bliss.
    Hellebores are so very subtle and lovely.

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  17. Thank you, Em, very much for your comment on my blog. What amazing lichen photos. What a chilly winter it is proving to be. Will head off back in to your blog now to see what has been going on while I've been elsewhere ... Keep warm!

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  18. Elizabeth - As I do with yours. I loved living in London so much as a teenager and just need a little fix from you in NYC every week!

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  19. Ooops - sorry Caroline! I pressed 'publish' by mistake. I hope you've had a lovely break away from home. I can't believe quite how cold it is here. All the pipes were frozen this morning and we had no water for Origami Boy's birthday poor thing. Lucky he was at school really.

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  20. We have had snow too and now there is a covering of frost outside.

    Lovely birds and your hellebore is a beautiful colour.

    A shame you are not nearer then we could keep each other company, walking out with young ponies.

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  21. That would solve a lot of problems too! Daily company would be great even if they weren't resident. Glad you like that Hellebore; I must try and find out which variety it is.

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Thank you so much for leaving a comment. It's great to read them and I will always try to reply.