Signs Of Springtime

"It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light and winter in the shade."

- Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

March is my favourite month by far (not just because it's birthday month - honest!) but because it's when if we're lucky, we get our first solid signs of splendid springtime! The snowdrops are now giving way to daffodils, crocuses and irises, the grass starts looking a fresher shade of green, and the birds are chattering away more in the garden. Throw into the mix a chance of more sunshine, fluffy lambs and easter bunnies and no wonder it's such a lovely month to find ourselves in! I have taken time on my lunch breaks to wander around my little town of Farnham (Surrey) and appreciate how very pretty and quintessentially English it is, as I feel I take it for granted! It's full of character properties like these little cottages and their charming wonky doors, sited just next to Saint Andrews Church, where I often perch on the benches to get some fresh air, it's a very pretty churchyard with some wonderfully detailed victorian graves (I find such things interesting...maybe not to everyones taste!)

Whilst walking in the woods this week I spotted my first bumblebee of the year sunning himself on this comfy looking moss (I have been corrected on Twitter to say it's actually a SHE Queen bee looking for a nest site - but to me, all bumbles are boys and that's just the way I see them, stubborn!) This was my most cheering sight as if they are braving it to be out and about, I should be too! I cleared the two large raised beds in my garden so they will be ready for my first lot of seeds very soon, can't wait to get growing! We visited The Packhouse for lunch and I found the green shepherds hut sitting outside, I liked the addition of the stained glass window very much.

It felt so good to be out working in the garden again, and my neighbours chickens were chattering away to each other, such a happy sound, it's a proper suburban homestead over here, I'm telling you! I love how Hilda's popping her head up in the photo like 'OH HEY!' hehe!

Mollie has been loving the longer woodland walks with beautiful Bader who loves nothing more than water and playing ball, it's those simple things in life - THOSE EYES!! Mollie had a well needed haircut this week so she went from a scruffy old sheep to a gleaming, Crufts standard Cairn again! She really doesn't like any fuss or brushing, but that winter coat had to go, she only ignored me for a few hours after ;).

Hope you've been having a good weekend, It's pretty mizzly and misty here today but fingers crossed it'll be back to springtime sunshine this week! Thanks for reading,

Katie