Yorkshire in April

 No wonder it's known as God's own County!

Just wanted to share a few locations worth a visit if ever you're in the neighbourhood.

Hornsea

 Valley Gardens, Harrogate

 Garden of Serenity, Harrogate

Golden Acre Park, Leeds

 

Burnsall, Yorkshire Dales

 

Parcevall Hall, Skyreholme, Yorkshire Dales

 

Parcevall Hall is the retreat house of the Anglican Diocese of Leeds.

 

Six on Saturday: “Spring is the time of plans and projects.” ― Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina.

Here are my SoS

My first two choices herald Spring for me:

Flowering Blackcurrant 

A pot of Bellis

The next two have given colour all winter so deserve a mention:

Hebe

Saxifraga

Some Ammi seedlings potted up - sown in October

I have searched near and far for Corydalis without success, so I was delighted when a member of our gardening group brought me this plant which he "found" in a field near his home.

F

The Propagator generously hosts Six on Saturday.  Click on the link to his blog to see what he and his followers are growing and doing in their gardens this week.  Perhaps you feel you could add your own six too.

Keep calm and garden on

Six on Saturday - “Every gardener knows that under the cloak of winter lies a miracle" Barbara Winkler

“Every gardener knows that under the cloak of winter lies a miracle … a seed waiting to sprout, a bulb opening to the light, a bud straining to unfurl. And the anticipation nurtures our dream.”  — Barbara Winkler

It’s been bright and cold but that’s much better than dull and damp. I scour the garden for signs of life and I am reminded what bloomed in the garden last year.

No exciting offerings here, but they gladden my heart. 

Winter Jasmine continues to brighten up the entrance.

The first Bellis flower which promises more to follow.

Calendula grown from seed.  Lots more seedlings in the wings awaiting the warmer weather

Polyanthus also grown from seed a long time ago

The variegated Vinca Major has clambered up the fence

The Abelia is a good doer and has been flowering since July

 Bring it on!

The Propagator generously hosts Six on Saturday.  Click on the link to his blog to see what he and his followers are growing and doing in their gardens this week.  Perhaps you feel you could add your own six too.

Thanks also to the contributors who have cheered up the bleak winter for me.

New Year or more of the same?

 

New Year or more of the same?  Whatever, hope it’s a happy and healthy new year for you.

The shortest day has passed and there are fresh buds and snowdrops showing, which always bring me joy.

The Bank Holiday saw us off to Lytham, St. Anne’s and Blackpool with our flask, sarnies and puppy.  Although very cold with a bracing wind, the sun shone briefly, it was dry and we had the roads and the resorts to ourselves.

We visited Crowther Park in Lytham

 

St Anne's

..... and Blackpool where the illuminations were rather bland as businesses and trams usually add to the atmosphere but we did have the Golden Mile to ourselves.

How did you celebrate?

The Season of Giving

 

This story is in response to the regular call for shared storytelling  on the blog https://isawlightningfall.blogspot.com/in 100 words for advent from Loren Eaton.

The blog is described “as a place for people who like stories in general and genre fiction in particular. It's a place for folks who prefer to read and write fantasy and horror, science fiction and crime fiction”.

So here is my 100 word story:

Sarah wasn’t feeling festive.  Seemingly nor were the other shoppers although masks made facial expressions inscrutable.  Toiletry gift sets for those who could well afford such items with their weekly shop seemed superfluous. Worn out and dispirited, Sarah purchased a coffee to go when she noticed a young woman huddled in the doorway of a closed-down shop.  Impulsively she bent down to offer her the drink and saw, there in the blankets, an ashen-faced baby. Although exhausted, Sarah dashed to buy baby food, wipes and nappies, returned to the doorway only to find it abandoned except for a baby doll.   

To read more stories, check out I Saw Lightning Fall

My short story in SevenDays magazine

 

I’m delighted to report that my short story “Coasting Along” has been published in Issue 4 of SevenDays magazine.  This will be my first story to appear in a mainstream UK publication.

Seven Days is the first new weekly UK magazine to be published for many years.   In addition to two pieces of fiction per week, there are puzzles, recipes, lifestyle articles and celebrity interviews. 

Such a thrill to see the magazine in the supermarket while doing the weekly shop! 

End of the Season 2021

Well, that went quickly! We spent an enjoyable week at the coast before closing up for the winter. The weather was agreeable and we did what we do best: reading, eating, walking, and sleeping. 

Local walk on beach and over the cliffs

 Picnic on the slipway in Hull.  Ships would be brought into
the slipway from the Humber for repairs

 Recently renovated Bathing
Pool at Burton Constable

Side view of Burton Constable Hall with the Orangery on the
left. 

 Burton Constable all decked out

                                                                       for Halloween
 

 Filey's beautiful beach

 Sewerby Hall and Gardens:  Someone needs to go to Specsavers

 The walled garden at Sewerby  Hall with a spooky theme

The break was a real de-stresser until we set off for home, laden with puppy and laundry, when the car broke down five miles into our journey necessitating being brought home in a rescue truck.