February flew past!

I know that February is the shortest month of the year but so often it feels so long!  It's Foggy February, February Fill-dike, and other dismal sayings abound.

The Petwood Hotel, Woodhall Spa

But this year has been different.  I was brought up short yesterday by an email from Michigan telling me that the weather there was blustery cold, windy, snowy as usual.  Here we've had the warmest February on record, definitely warm enough for taking my cuppa outside and sitting on the swing.

Some time ago I resolved to have some Jam Months, a time of Jam today, and leaving yesterday and today to their own devices, and February has been Jam Time again.  I had a lovely break at Woodhall Spa, an experience which I shall definitely repeat.

A tank at The Deep, Hull

I visited The Deep, the marine aquarium at Hull.  It was very busy with school parties and I'm not sure I will be repeating that experience any time soon.  I had hoped for a quiet, meditative day but I shall have to seek peace and quiet somewhere else.

Someone not to talk to at Normanby Park

I went to Normanby Hall, my first visit there for a very long time.  Maybe I shall try again in the summer.

  

I went to a book launch, seven lunches out, a WI meeting, Trefoil Guild and card making and had three competition wins.I've been busy with church activities and seemed to be well booked up for  some time to come.

Not surprising that February flew past!

Normanby

Whoever named the villages of Lincolnshire seems to have run out of inspiration at some point - or maybe someone just liked the name Normanby.

I've written about Normanby Hall several times.  It's in the hamlet of Normanby within the parish of Burton on Stather near Scunthorpe.  But that's not where I've been today.

There's a village called Normanby by Spital near to my old parishes.  The Spital bit refers to Spital in the Street, or Hospital in the street but that's not where I've been today.

Today I went to Normanby le Wold, a tiny village right at the top of the Lincolnshire Wolds.  I had a delightful drive there and had the privilege of seeing a muntjac deer.  I've never seen one so close before so it really felt like a privilege.  

I arrived at the church rather early so I lingered in the churchyard listening to the birdsong which is at its best at this time of the year.

And to crown it all the privilege of conducting worship in a delightful little church.  Truly a wonderful day.

Not a bad month

It's 4th of March and I'm feeling a bit guilty becuase I haven't blogged about February fun so this is a quick post!   I said February was for fun and I meant it!  Here's a few of the things I have done.

Best thing in the month was the Edinburgh trip.

I went to my paper engineering group and made a Rotobot.  Turn the handle and the torso rotates one way and the head the other whilst the feet stays still.  I don't think I got it quite right as unfortunately he also picks his nose!

I had a day out in Newark with Alice.  Long time readers may remember her as Bobo's human.  Alice and I have been friends for forty eight years so that was a day for a LOT of talking!

Then I had a day at Normanby Park

I went to Mandy's and made some lovely cards.

I crocheted a throw to use whilst sprawling on the sofa.

I received two competition wins.  

A month of having a smile on my face!!!

Hello weather.

We've had real hello weather this week and I decided that the time had come for a visit to Normanby Park.  You know about hello weather, don't you?  It happens in the spring.   In the winter people are huddled down in their coats.  In the summer lovely days can get taken for granted.  On a glorious day in the spring everyone I pass says the same thing.  "Hello. isn't it a lovely day!"  And I just have to agree!

Anyway, Normanby was lovely this week.  There were a lot of grandparents on child-care duty.  Happy children were showing off their skills on their bikes to grannies and grandpas who can be relied on to admire them.  Little dogs were being taken for exciting walks and they too were greeting each other.  Snowdrops and aconites were brightening the spring although I did think these pot marigolds were a tad optimistic flowering in February.

The gardeners are still gathering wonderful winter vegetables but the land is being readied for planting in a few weeks.

February is indeed fun and I think it's just the start of a fun year!  WHOOPPEE!!!

There's glory for you!

At the moment I'm trying to keep the car mileage down but yesterday morning was glorious so off I went to Normanby.  I almost didn't get there because a beautiful deer ran across my path but fortunately she made it across the road and I drove quite a bit slower for a while.

Then when I got to Normanby I saw this glorious sight.  I do feel privileged when I see deer this close.  They are such beautiful creatures!  Stags can look a bit fierce but the hinds look so gentle and vulnerable.

The park was full of children yesterday but fortunately my favourite bit is not appealing to the infantry.  I always enjoy the walled garden.  It's basically a vegetable garden maintained Victorian style with perennials and flowers (for cutting) bringing colour and enrichment.  They had a change of head gardener a few  years ago and I think the new one isn't very keen on vegetables.  These beds used to be filled with pumpkins which were then carved for Hallowe'en.  I rather like these new flowers though, so I sat and knitted.  There's glory for you!

I'm glad I went to Normanby last week

I'm glad I went to Normanby last week.  Almost the first thing I saw was this fine fellow sunning himself.  There's something very supercilious about a peacock, don't you think?

The walk/trundle around the park was wonderful with bright sunshine showing these glorious primroses to their best advantage.

Why is that this glorious reflection of the sun is so undervalued? Surely I can't be the only person who finds them beautiful.  

And today we have had rain, hail, snow amd almost everything else bar fog.

I'm glad I went to Normanby last week

First time this year

It's more than a bit nippy here in Lincolnshire this week but the upside of that is that it is wonderful and clear and bright.  So yesterday I went off to Normanby Park.

The snowdrops were gorgeous but will soon be over.

The daffodils will be at their best in a week or two.

The rhubarb is being "forced" to create those succulent, sweet stems.

The deer were munching happily in the distance.

And all around humans were saying, "Isn't it a glorious day?"  "We've hardly had a winter."

And everyone, flora, fauna and human beings appreciates the joy of being alive on a wonderful day.

A delightful morning out

You may perhaps have noticed that I like going to Normanby Park!  I have a season ticket and it's been £13 very well spent.

I try and get there as soon after 9am as I can and last week when I arrived it was still very quiet but by the time I left at about noon it was bustling.  At this time of the year there are lots of families enjoying the fresh air and the space to run around.

This wonderful wild flower display is just by the entrance and I thought it so beautiful that I went back to look at it once I had got the TT out of the car.  

There's a small "petting" area for children.  Who could fail to be enchanted by this fine fellow?

The kitchen garden is at its most magnificent with a glorious mixture of fruit, vegetables and flowers.

And even if the weather had not been wonderful, Normanby grows its own sunshine.

You can't have it all

The weather forecast this morning wasn't particularly good but I was desperate for the big wide world so off I went to Normanby Park.

And it was a glorious day.  Soon after I entered the park I saw this splendid fellow.

I see him or his mates every time I go there but this is the first time I have managed to photograph him displaying.

Wouldn't it be great to be a peacock with that wonderful outfit for everyday wear?

Well,no it wouldn't. I can't be the only person who finds the pantaloons vaguely ridiculous.

And as for fluffy bums - include me out!

Privilege

I've had a very busy few days so today seemed like a good day to go to Normanby Park.

The house was built around 1825 for the Sheffield family.  They were very privileged.


Mrs Samantha Cameron, wife of the Prime Minister, grew up on the estate.  Maybe she too was privileged.

The pets belonging to this family seem to have been very privileged, so privileged that even in death they have a special pet cemetery.




Today at Normanby I was close enough to the deer to look into their eyes.  So no-one is more privileged than me.

Nineteenth Century Trundle Truck

My trundle truck is great!  It takes me places I would otherwise miss out on.  Today it took me to Normanby Park.  











While I was at Normanby I saw this wonderful donkey Bath chair which was made some time around 1860.

Bath chairs (named after the City of Bath) were nineteenth century invalid carriages allowing a disabled or sick person to be trundled around either pushed by a servant or, as in this case pulled by an animal.

My trundle truck is much more convenient - but it would be fun to have a donkey to look after me!

A promise of loveliness to come

Today is glorious.  The forecast for the next few days isn’t glorious.  So, despite the stack of things waiting to be done, I went to Normanby Park.

I think the world and his wife was there.  Grandparents with excited children, photographers doing photo shoots, health walkers, dog walkers and me.  And everyone had a smile.  There is a real feeling that splendid things are around the corner.

Daffodils

Primroses

Hellebores

Pulmonaria

Daffodils and primroses, hellebores and pulmomaria are all showing their beauty.

Currants and gooseberries will soon be in leaf and the peach case is full of blossom.

Gooseberries

Currants

Peach case

Peach blossom

And even this splendid fellow seemed to be screeching at the top of his voice

SPRING IS ON ITS WAY!

Dogs, peacocks, snowdrops, ducks and rhubarb

I’m finding January to be quite a difficult month but I try and get out for a while each day so yesterday I headed once again for Normanby Hall.  It was one of those truly lovely winter days: very cold but with brilliant sunshine.  The carpark was incredibly busy when I arrived as the Ramblers Association was about to set out and everyone was rushing to get to the loos!

Quite apart from the Ramblers Association (who I sometimes think should be called the Route March Association), Walks for Health (which are run by the local authority) were leading gentle guided walks for people of varying degrees of fitness and the dog walkers were out in force.

 And it was a lovely chatty day, even if people were just saying “Isn’t it a lovely day!”  I chatted with lots of dog walkers and an English setter tried to hitch a lift on my trundle truck – apparently he has a friend who takes him up. 

Although it is still the depth of winter signs of spring are around.  The snowdrops are peeping through.

The peacocks are getting their wonderful plumage although I didn’t see any displaying.

Some ducks still think it’s too nippy for water sports but a few were on a small pond.

And there was a new explanation board about these so maybe Victoria won’t be exposed too much longer.

(See http://trundlingthroughlife.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/an-end-to-seclusion.html)

An end to seclusion

Few people can have had a quieter Christmas than me.  I came home from church on Christmas Day, shut the door and didn’t open it again until this morning.  I had a few phone calls but Christmas is a time of quiet seclusion for me.  I have plenty of invitations but I prefer solitude for this very special time

I decided that today was the right time to end my seclusion with a trip to Normanby Park.  I made a flask of coffee, wrapped up warm and off I went. 

It was so beautiful there!  There were few people about in the early morning, just a few dog walkers.

The ducks had decided that it was too cold to go swimming.

The trees looked magnificent in their winter nudity.

The walled garden has been largely cleared and the soil left bare to allow the frost to deal with the pests.

I had wondered if these beauties would have been put over the rhubarb to force it.

But no, Victoria is still exposed.

It was a wonderful to ride around on my trundle truck.

And even better to get home to slow cooker chicken casserole