MAD FROGS

Yesterday I got the rare school holiday opportunity to take the dogs for a decent walk....alone. I had become aware that, since THAT sunny day, frogs had been spawning everywhere and that this might be the opportunity to revisit certain prime sites, including one where I found an exhausted female, basking in the sunshine this time last year. I took many stunning close-ups, all of which I lost in some kind of computer-to-camera-file-loss disaster. Off I set to the remote site, forty minutes walk away into the boggy wilderness. Signs were good on the way.....

..........and as I approached, tiptoeing across the squelching moss, I saw the water in question seething and bubbling with amphibious action. The female was curled around a stone in a spawny soup with multiple males clinging on for dear life, vying for her attention.

I walked home in the drizzle to find a large natural pond in a neighbour's scrub full of frogs and newts floating around relaxing, including the one in the first picture. I had clearly missed the main event here. 

Some other pictures from this week so far.....

Early morning clouds over Kestor Rocks:

Strange misty clouds creeping over the hills towards me:

With spectacular ones following:

Sunny rocks:

Today's misty drizzle:

I've changed Trigger's routine a bit thanks to the slightly longer days, which is working better for me. When I take him down to see his Madam friends, I'm now doing it late afternoon so that he stays overnight and I collect him in the morning rather than the other way round. 

"What the hell is she doing to me?"

I'm going for an MRI scan of my spine in a couple of weeks in Exeter as the pain is not getting any better and my GP wants to get a fuller picture of what's going on. I haven't had an MRI since the day of the accident when I had two as the surgeon wanted to be absolutely sure of what was facing him before he went in armed with much titanium. Bit nervous to be honest but I think it's highly likely I will just be referred to the pain clinic. The only positive about the pain is that it is a constant deterrent to getting back on a horse! Enough of that. I've been so busy with OB this half term, I've been missing catching up with others' blogs. So, until next time, here are Mr Speedy and Captain Slow enjoying the dry-ish weather. Have a great weekend if I don't manage to post before then and a belated welcome to the four new followers since the 100 milestone.

HAPPY MOSS AND THEN THERE WERE TWO

There are now two regular coal tit visitors. Unfortunately they are fierce rivals, are constantly seeing each other off and consequently can never be photographed together. It's lovely to have their numbers expanding; perhaps there will be three soon. 

Waiting its turn at the feeder

I've noticed the moss over the moor is looking particularly happy after all the rain; I'm glad something is. I've had to fence a section of Trigger's very small paddock off to see if it can recover for a few weeks. I'm sure any of you with horses will be having the same problems. Here are a few mossy and licheny (I'm getting a big wavy red line under that, not surprisingly!) pictures:

On the gate into our garden, this miniature garden has appeared....

Yellow Brain Fungus looking particularly bright yellow.....

And the first flower of the year....some very early flowering gorse, smelling strongly of coconut (or Hawaiian Tropic sun tan lotion....I wonder if they make it any more?). 

We have a very clever sparrow in the flock, who has learnt how to hang onto the peanut feeder. He's the only one who can do it so far. Others watch but don't follow. Perhaps they will in time. 

On our way back from a trip to Exeter to buy Origami boy yet more shoes yesterday, the cloud formation was very strange. I haven't been on an plane since 1998 but this is what I remember looking out at from the windows, which is a bit strange given we were on the ground.

And I'll leave you with a few gorsey Snippet pictures. I'm sure his coat has evolved in his three and a half years on the planet so as to allow him to access gorse without pain and cope with his first two incredibly snowy winters. Have as pleasant a Monday as possible!

OLD FRIENDS AND WEIRD SKIES

Last Sunday, my oldest friend and her family came to stay. The evening they arrived, we all went for a short walk after supper. The skies were amazing. I’ve talked about us living in a cloud before, but usually we just sit in a big grey mass of it. This time, the edges and individual wisps and sections were very obvious. It was slightly drizzly, creating another of those rainstumps, this time very dramatic over the rocks. Here are the pictures I took which give a pretty good idea of what it was like. I rarely get out in the evening, so it was lovely to observe the difference in light.

Betty and Lizzy were hanging around that evening with a grey gelding who was acting very proprietarily. Betty seemed happy to have him around and, in the mood for anthropomorphism, I thought they looked like a lovely family group. 

One thing that has been really lovely about writing this blog is the notice I’ve been taking of the moorland flora. I think I only thought there a few flowers out there before, but having spent a lot of time scrutinising the ground, I’ve been amazed at their numbers. Everything is miniature or stunted in height, somewhere between normal and alpine I suppose. 

Mouse-ear

Red Clover

Hawkbit seed-head

In the disastrous vegetable patch, we decided to leave a couple of last years leeks to go to seed so we could sow them next year. I’ve been waiting and waiting for them to flower and they are spectacular; about six feet tall and such a lovely subtle colour. The bees are enjoying them too!

Trigger’s eye is healing well thank goodness. The bad weather came just in time for him in terms of the reduction in fly numbers. He’s looking good and the split in his hoof is pretty much gone after Tuesday’s trimming. 

Here are some pictures of:

SNIPPET’S WEEK

Blurred fun...

Completely uninterested in the ponies

Rodent hunting....

Shattered

And a few things I’ve seen over the week too:

More strange clouds

That lone hawthorn again from two different angles

A sparrow-hawk out the back from rather a distance I'm afraid - Sorry!

A drinker moth I think. Bit difficult to tell to be honest!

Again, rather difficult, but a common green grasshopper is what it most looks like.

Sorry to sully proceedings but I thought these dung fungae were rather beautiful 

These three are part of the herd I had the magical experience with some weeks ago. The middle one is the one who let me scratch and stroke him. Out of their own patch, they were far more wary

I may not manage to post before we go to London next week but I’ll make sure I take the camera. We’re staying with friends who live near the Olympic park so we’re going to try and have a look round. Origami boy wants to go on the London Eye so, as the person who doesn’t suffer as badly with vertigo, I’m the one having to accompany him. I grew up in London, only coming here ten years ago, and I only really look forward to viewing it through my son’s young, Devon-born eyes. His life is SO rural, it must be incredibly exciting for him. So, till next time and hoping Olympic cold turkey isn’t too painful!