( Rosie & Finnegan)
" Oh, visit the earth, ask her to join the dance! Deck her out in Spring showers, fill the God river with living water. Paint the wheat fields golden. Creation was made for this! Drench the plowed fields ..." Psalm 65:9-13 The Message
As I sit here writing this piece, a couple of my little friends sit on the wire outside my window chattering to each other. I took the photo above of them. I used to call them TweedleDUM and TweedleDEE because they were always together, chattering and cheerful. But those names seemed too childish for such warriors. They may be small and sweet looking but these two are skilled flight machines, soaring across the garden, turning on a dime, making our Red Arrow Jets look like heavy snails in comparison.These two are trim capable warriors who have navigated across the Sahara desert over 3 thousand miles to make their way back to England all the way from the Southern tip of Africa.
So they needed better names. I settled on Rosie and Finnegan but am still not sure they are noble enough. I will keep them for now but they might change again.
I don't know who is Rosie and who is Finnegan. Possibly Rosie is the one with her head turned, listening for her babies voice while her husband talks to her. Or maybe Finnegan has his head turned away because Rosie just won't stop chattering. Who knows? But they are definitely parents and they both work every day at sweeping the skies around my place clear of insects and bringing them back home to their hungry child.
( Sign on my stable door)
Their happy banter lifts my heart and makes me feel glad to be alive. Spring is a wonderful season to be immersed in nature and this May was probably one of the most beautiful months I have experienced in years.
Nature has been resplendent in glory and clothed herself in swathes of blossom and sunshine. I have walked, cycled and picnicked as often as I could, camera in hand, delighted at every new extravagant display of flowers and deep lush meadow grass.
(The fields around Loseley)
Last year I wrote about some of my favourite picnic spots. (Click on the photo below to read the related post on 'swallows & picnics' if you want to read more ...)
I have discovered a couple of new picnic spots this year. One is under a tree in the vineyard at Denbies. A great spot to snuggle down in deep grass in the shade, surrounded by the humming of bees in the vine blossoms all around.
Another is up on the chalk ridge of Denbies view on Ranmore Common. The pasture meadows make a lush picnic spot to sit drinking in the huge view out over the valley and across to the 3 peaks of the Surrey Hills, Leith Hill, Abinger Hill and Pitch Hill.
In May I also like to visit Chilworth Manor for their Open Garden day. I love watching Spring unfold in this garden. It is one of my favourite places in Surrey. ( Click on the photo below to read the related post on 'Picnic & Pimms' for more on Chilworth Manor ...)
( Alpacas & Blossom at Chilworth Manor)
( Wisteria climbing all over the wall and house at Chilworth Manor. Click on the photo to read more on Wisteria from last years post on 'Colour in abundance.' )
( The flock of Alpacas in the field at Chilworth Manor)
While I enjoyed a cup of tea & cake, I watched this bee at work and enjoyed the bright sunshine and roses in the walled garden.
I came into my bedroom last week to find one of the swallows had swept up the stairs and found itself trapped in my room. I couldn't believe my luck. I managed to capture a photo of him/her in flight. Was it Rosie? Was it Finnegan? I don't know. But it was definitely one of my swallows. It flew back outside, over the courtyard and straight into the stable when I opened the window to let it out.
I was so happy to be able to take this photo. What a beautiful bird the barn swallow is.
As I sit here bringing this post to a close I can hear the swallows chattering downstairs. Finishing off these thoughts on Spring, here are 2 old photos I found and wrote about last year.
(Click on photo's for last year's post on 'Magical wonderland.' )
It has been a spectacular Spring. THANK-YOU CREATION ....
" Oh, visit the earth, ask her to join the dance! Deck her out in Spring showers, fill the God river with living water. Paint the wheat fields golden. Creation was made for this! Drench the plowed fields ..." Psalm 65:9-13 The Message