Well Spring is officially here - so the man on the News said. He also said it begins today (although I think it was yesterday) and there are equal hours of daylight and dark. Now, as I have said before, I am no scholar nor scientist, but I know that I start crowing at 05.30 when it gets light and go to bed at 18.30 when it is getting dark. On my reckoning that means I am up for 13 hours and on my perch for 11. Which leads me to thinking that the Spring Equinox probably happened a week or so ago and that the Autumn Equinox happens after the 22nd-ish of September - at least where I live! I suppose that somewhere it is more or less 12 hours equally divided today.
Yesterday my friends and I spent a most enjoyable time rooting and exploring. We uncovered the first violets in the dry leaves on the bank and spent a good couple of hours counting primrose petals in the primrose patch. They usually have five petals, but sometimes have six - or more. It is very rare to find four. So we had a competition and Mrs Pippy found a whole plant of primroses, half of which had six petals. We awarded her the prize. Then Truffle bustled through with a fuss and a noise and made us follow her to a small root with only three blossoms on - one of which had just four petals! We were in awe! But on careful inspection it looked rather as if one had been awkwardly removed - as if by a yank of a beak. We eyed it suspiciously and moved on.
We went to the pond too and around the edges were lots of frogs and toads. Doing what frogs and toads do at this time of the year. There were clumps of frogspawn that had risen to the suface to catch the warmth of the sunshine and strings of eggs wound around the stems of the water weed - toadspawn. One of the frogs had red legs and arms and matched the clay soil perfectly. We asked Kizzie to take a photo for our diary and she precariously tottered over the busyness - we will show you if it is clear enough, the light on the water was very bright.
Have a good Monday everyone! Gordon x
Yesterday my friends and I spent a most enjoyable time rooting and exploring. We uncovered the first violets in the dry leaves on the bank and spent a good couple of hours counting primrose petals in the primrose patch. They usually have five petals, but sometimes have six - or more. It is very rare to find four. So we had a competition and Mrs Pippy found a whole plant of primroses, half of which had six petals. We awarded her the prize. Then Truffle bustled through with a fuss and a noise and made us follow her to a small root with only three blossoms on - one of which had just four petals! We were in awe! But on careful inspection it looked rather as if one had been awkwardly removed - as if by a yank of a beak. We eyed it suspiciously and moved on.
We went to the pond too and around the edges were lots of frogs and toads. Doing what frogs and toads do at this time of the year. There were clumps of frogspawn that had risen to the suface to catch the warmth of the sunshine and strings of eggs wound around the stems of the water weed - toadspawn. One of the frogs had red legs and arms and matched the clay soil perfectly. We asked Kizzie to take a photo for our diary and she precariously tottered over the busyness - we will show you if it is clear enough, the light on the water was very bright.
Have a good Monday everyone! Gordon x