On Sunday 13th March Richard and I were able to go for a walk along the lanes together for the first time in months. The fields were still much too wet for us to walk across them easily so we stuck to the roads and got along very well. The weather was bright and sunny but the wind was strong and from the north-east so we didn’t linger.
Primroses (Primula vulgaris) had begun to adorn the edges of the roadside.
We surprised a Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus) who didn’t stay around for a photograph.
This pond was dug a few weeks ago and it is now full of water. It is about five or six feet deep. There is a cottage on the opposite side of the lane which is being renovated and we think this pond was dug to improve the drainage round the building.
Italian Alder catkins
Halfway down our lane a row of Italian Alders (Alnus cordata) grow between the lane and a wide arable field. The trees are large and I assume were planted as a windbreak.
The Beck wasn’t as deep as it had been a couple of weeks earlier but was still flowing quite quickly.
Looking back the way we had come you can see the ditch at the side of the road is still very full. This ditch, along with most of the others near our house, has been cleared and dug out this winter.
The sides of the ditches are scraped to clear away the thick vegetation which if left, can stop the water from flowing away and will cause the roads and fields to flood. The mud is then heaped up on the top of the bank and tamped down. This is necessary work but means that we won’t see many wild flowers here for a while.
This photo shows more of the hedging and ditching work going on.
The ditch in the middle distance has been dug out and the hedge on the far side of it which had been left for too long without maintenance and had grown into a row of spindly trees, was being cut right back.
A view across the field looking in the direction of our house.
A grand Pedunculate or English Oak (Quercus robur) at the side of the lane. It has lost a large branch recently in a storm. You can just see the orange scar where the branch was ripped away.
Another view from the lane.
Another of the muddy lanes we walked along. The sunshine and the strong wind were doing a good job of drying the road.
The Dandelions (Taraxacum officinale agg.) are beginning to flower…..
…and so are the Lesser Celandines (Ranunculus ficaria).
The Primroses are doing well this year.
The Rookery at St Margaret’s village was busy.
More primroses under the hedge.
A male Blackbird (Turdus merula) sitting in a tree above my head was being blown about in the breeze.
These ponds appear on St Margaret’s common when we have had a lot of rain
This is our house as seen from the field at the back. We turned off the lane and walked back home down the edge of the field which had dried out quite nicely.
Our big pond as seen from the field. The white cord is all the boundary marker we have at present.
A view of the rest of the pond showing where the new summerhouse is.
My choice of music today is a video of a folk music session at a Suffolk pub.
Lovely photos. I love primroses, and dandelions in the wild ate good too. Soon be time to blow their seeds! Now I’m rushing the year! I like your Suffolk lane very much.
I’m happy you and Richard were about to get out for a nice walk, Clare. It does look quite wet. The English Oak is stunning! I hope you had a wonderful Easter.
If youâre feeling ambitious,
you might cut the ivy vines at the base of that English Oak
That ivy will swallow up the entire tree
[DSCN0287English Oak-001]
[cid:image001.jpg@01C9B630.AE052CF0]
Mark Spitzer
2106 Fifth Avenue West
Seattle WA 98119
206 669 3621 c
Thank-you Mark. Ivy is a constant trouble here and we try to curb its enthusiasm when we can. It is also such a useful plant and is food and shelter for myriad insects and birds!
It looks like you had a fine spring day to enjoy a lovely walk and to see so many wonderful signs of spring, especially the flowers! It does look as if it’s been quite wet there this spring, I hope that it continues to dry up, but not get too dry for your gardening.
Thank-you Jerry. It would be good to have just a few days of dry and warmth. Our soil is clay so it does get rather hard to work when it dries out – but that won’t happen for a while I think!
Finding dry walks this winter and early spring is tricky, we have a dog and the novelty of walking on muddy fields has long worn off. Its looks as if you had some lovely sunshine to accompany you. The view of your large pond makes me realise how large it is, did you have a boundary hedge before?
A beautiful spring walk, and quite an impressive oak tree!
A great choice of music, live from the pub! I used to dream about playing music overseas, places I’ve never been to, travelling about the countryside. I may look into it someday. Still getting back on my feet and catching up with about 3 years of farm work. All in good time…
The primroses are very good this year. I hope yours are just as good once they get going. The water-table is still so high so any rainfall we get doesn’t soak away very quickly.
This music is just wonderful and from a pub too! Fantastic! I’m so glad that you were able to go out for a lovely walk. You have some beautiful countryside around you and I loved the view back to your house (which is very pretty!) and your pond too. I realize now how big this pond is! It’s amazing the little things that can stir a memory for me – I had completely forgotten about rookeries in the tall trees. I was always fascinated by them as a child. – So lovely. Thank you!
– Kate x
Thank-you Kate. Rookeries are so much part of the English countryside; each of the villages round here has at least one and they are all waiting for their eggs to hatch!
Yes, our big pond is *really* big and was the main reason we chose to live here. We have a lot of work to do to it; mainly trying to keep the reeds and willow at bay. We keep it as a wildlife pond and it has fish, frogs and newts in it as well as lots of insects.
Clare x
Always a joy to take a walk out with you! Thank you for sharing your little corner of the world . x Especially lovely for me as it evokes treasured memories of similar walks and explorations when I lived in England ~ I miss those walks more than anything as nothing comparable here.
It looks like it was a nice day for a walk even if it was a little wet. I love seeing so many primroses. It’s odd that they don’t naturalize here like they do there. In fact I’ve never seen a wild primrose.
I like the views of the lanes and the old oak. Those country lanes are just the picture of England that I have in my mind, but that probably comes from watching the Avengers all the time way back when. That was one of my favorite shows and Steed was always driving down those narrow lanes.
I’m glad that you and your husband are finding time to just relax and enjoy life.
I used to love watching the Avengers too! The lanes used in the series were all round Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire, just north of London which isn’t too far from Suffolk.
It does seem strange that primroses don’t naturalise in New Hampshire. They are tough little plants and would cope with the cold winter but maybe not with the heat in summer. They are woodland flowers and don’t like to dry out.
Happy Easter, Clare! We are getting some dandelions, too – their yellows are very welcome. Another thing that’s always welcome is the windy weather which often comes after a lot of rain, to dry things out. I guess you have a similar thing where you are. That oak tree is fabulous! And your home looks to be a nice comfortable sized place. 🙂
Thank-you Lisa. Yes a good windy day dries up all the rain and turns the mud on the road to dust. I hope you and your brother have had a Happy Easter too. Ours has been very nice.
Your part of the world looks a lot like ours–muddy, still not much color. Do primroses just grow wild over there? I have some in my garden but I’ve never seen them just popping up here. The video of the music session will keep my toes tapping all day!
Thank you for another delightful sightseeing tour around your neighbourhood. I find the bare trees lining the roads and paths very mysterious and they remind me of scary children’s tales. 🙂 I wondered about the greenery on the English Oak and then I read the comments section to see it is ivy. That’s the quandary we face about some plants. While they may be weed-like, they are also still provide homes and food for many creatures. The primroses are very pretty. I hope you had a lovely Easter, Clare. x
Thank-you Jane. I find the bare branches of our deciduous trees really interesting; each species has its own shape and it is often much easier to identify the tree in the winter. Common Ivy has been growing up trees for thousands of years and usually doesn’t cause too much trouble unless the host plant is weak or very old. We would have a rather large job on our hands if we tried removing ivy from all the trees affected but we often help a needy specimen! We had a lovely Easter, thank-you – I hope you did too. x
It is always wonderful to have a walk with you and see your area, it is a pleasure to see how the landscape changes throughout the seasons. How I long for more colour in the world again, at least the sun is back and soon it’ll be leaftastic! Your photos are great and the musical accompaniment is very fitting.
Thank-you so much Ste! We had a lovely warm day today (though it’s pouring with rain now!) and lots of leaves decided it was time to make an entrance. All starting to look good!
While reading and looking at the photographs, I couldn’t help but wonder how different your neighbourhood is from mine! I mean, you guys would go crazy at the noise levels here…and I would probably go nuts at the deafening silence there! 🙂
How funny! You are probably right! My brother-in-law who lives in Manchester, finds it much too quiet when he stays here and much too dark at night as well!
Yep, that looks like spring all over! Glad you and Richard were able to go for a walk along the lanes. And thanks for sharing, Clare. My best to you and family.
We did, and thanks, Clare. I brought my cowbells to church on Easter Sunday and rang them like crazy and sang the hymns and shouted Alleluja at the top of my voice.
It’s gently rolling countryside where I live though there are areas near-by which are flat (though not as flat as the Cambridgeshire Fens!). We are near the coast so only a few feet above sea-level. I think there are a few similarities between Suffolk and Cheshire as both are predominantly arable farming counties.
A lovely spring walk – even with the mud. Primroses are one of my favourite spring flowers but right about now I’d love to see any sign of spring with another heavy snow warning for tonight. What a wonderful pond you have and that new summer house is just waiting for warmer days.
lundygirl said:
Lovely photos. I love primroses, and dandelions in the wild ate good too. Soon be time to blow their seeds! Now I’m rushing the year! I like your Suffolk lane very much.
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clarepooley33 said:
Thank-you Rachel. I note your preference for dandelions in the wild 😀 They are a bit of a pain in the garden.
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Jill Weatherholt said:
I’m happy you and Richard were about to get out for a nice walk, Clare. It does look quite wet. The English Oak is stunning! I hope you had a wonderful Easter.
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clarepooley33 said:
Thank-you Jill. It is still very wet underfoot as we continue to have lots of heavy rain. We had a lovely Easter thank-you as I hope you did too.
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markspitzerdesigns said:
Looks a lot like early spring in Seattle
If youâre feeling ambitious,
you might cut the ivy vines at the base of that English Oak
That ivy will swallow up the entire tree
[DSCN0287English Oak-001]
[cid:image001.jpg@01C9B630.AE052CF0]
Mark Spitzer
2106 Fifth Avenue West
Seattle WA 98119
206 669 3621 c
Read my blog: Travel Design Impressions at:
http://markspitzerdesigns.wordpress.com
P please consider the environment before printing this email
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clarepooley33 said:
Thank-you Mark. Ivy is a constant trouble here and we try to curb its enthusiasm when we can. It is also such a useful plant and is food and shelter for myriad insects and birds!
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susanpoozan said:
Glad the fields are drying out at last, it was lovely to see two pictures of primroses my favourite Spring flower.
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clarepooley33 said:
Thank-you Susan. The primrose is one of my favourites too.
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quietsolopursuits said:
It looks like you had a fine spring day to enjoy a lovely walk and to see so many wonderful signs of spring, especially the flowers! It does look as if it’s been quite wet there this spring, I hope that it continues to dry up, but not get too dry for your gardening.
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clarepooley33 said:
Thank-you Jerry. It would be good to have just a few days of dry and warmth. Our soil is clay so it does get rather hard to work when it dries out – but that won’t happen for a while I think!
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Julie said:
Finding dry walks this winter and early spring is tricky, we have a dog and the novelty of walking on muddy fields has long worn off. Its looks as if you had some lovely sunshine to accompany you. The view of your large pond makes me realise how large it is, did you have a boundary hedge before?
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Lavinia Ross said:
A beautiful spring walk, and quite an impressive oak tree!
A great choice of music, live from the pub! I used to dream about playing music overseas, places I’ve never been to, travelling about the countryside. I may look into it someday. Still getting back on my feet and catching up with about 3 years of farm work. All in good time…
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clarepooley33 said:
Thank-you Lavinia. Yes, all in good time. I hope you and your husband are coping okay after the passing of your mother-in-law.
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dobetteralways said:
It all looks so nice and springy and your house…looking good! 🙂 I can only imagine how pretty it will be when the trees start budding too.
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clarepooley33 said:
Thank-you! The leaves are just starting to open so it won’t be too long now.
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tootlepedal said:
I saw a single primrose today so I am envious of your fine display. It does still look very wet around you.
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clarepooley33 said:
The primroses are very good this year. I hope yours are just as good once they get going. The water-table is still so high so any rainfall we get doesn’t soak away very quickly.
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tootlepedal said:
It is the same here. Any light shower produces big puddles.
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greytabby1 said:
This music is just wonderful and from a pub too! Fantastic! I’m so glad that you were able to go out for a lovely walk. You have some beautiful countryside around you and I loved the view back to your house (which is very pretty!) and your pond too. I realize now how big this pond is! It’s amazing the little things that can stir a memory for me – I had completely forgotten about rookeries in the tall trees. I was always fascinated by them as a child. – So lovely. Thank you!
– Kate x
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clarepooley33 said:
Thank-you Kate. Rookeries are so much part of the English countryside; each of the villages round here has at least one and they are all waiting for their eggs to hatch!
Yes, our big pond is *really* big and was the main reason we chose to live here. We have a lot of work to do to it; mainly trying to keep the reeds and willow at bay. We keep it as a wildlife pond and it has fish, frogs and newts in it as well as lots of insects.
Clare x
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Val said:
Always a joy to take a walk out with you! Thank you for sharing your little corner of the world . x Especially lovely for me as it evokes treasured memories of similar walks and explorations when I lived in England ~ I miss those walks more than anything as nothing comparable here.
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clarepooley33 said:
Thank-you Val! I am glad this brought back good memories for you.
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New Hampshire Garden Solutions said:
It looks like it was a nice day for a walk even if it was a little wet. I love seeing so many primroses. It’s odd that they don’t naturalize here like they do there. In fact I’ve never seen a wild primrose.
I like the views of the lanes and the old oak. Those country lanes are just the picture of England that I have in my mind, but that probably comes from watching the Avengers all the time way back when. That was one of my favorite shows and Steed was always driving down those narrow lanes.
I’m glad that you and your husband are finding time to just relax and enjoy life.
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clarepooley33 said:
I used to love watching the Avengers too! The lanes used in the series were all round Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire, just north of London which isn’t too far from Suffolk.
It does seem strange that primroses don’t naturalise in New Hampshire. They are tough little plants and would cope with the cold winter but maybe not with the heat in summer. They are woodland flowers and don’t like to dry out.
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Lisa G. said:
Happy Easter, Clare! We are getting some dandelions, too – their yellows are very welcome. Another thing that’s always welcome is the windy weather which often comes after a lot of rain, to dry things out. I guess you have a similar thing where you are. That oak tree is fabulous! And your home looks to be a nice comfortable sized place. 🙂
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clarepooley33 said:
Thank-you Lisa. Yes a good windy day dries up all the rain and turns the mud on the road to dust. I hope you and your brother have had a Happy Easter too. Ours has been very nice.
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KerryCan said:
Your part of the world looks a lot like ours–muddy, still not much color. Do primroses just grow wild over there? I have some in my garden but I’ve never seen them just popping up here. The video of the music session will keep my toes tapping all day!
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clarepooley33 said:
Thank-you Kerry. Yes, primroses are native wild flowers and they are everywhere at the moment – very pretty, and sweetly scented too.
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Jane said:
Thank you for another delightful sightseeing tour around your neighbourhood. I find the bare trees lining the roads and paths very mysterious and they remind me of scary children’s tales. 🙂 I wondered about the greenery on the English Oak and then I read the comments section to see it is ivy. That’s the quandary we face about some plants. While they may be weed-like, they are also still provide homes and food for many creatures. The primroses are very pretty. I hope you had a lovely Easter, Clare. x
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clarepooley33 said:
Thank-you Jane. I find the bare branches of our deciduous trees really interesting; each species has its own shape and it is often much easier to identify the tree in the winter. Common Ivy has been growing up trees for thousands of years and usually doesn’t cause too much trouble unless the host plant is weak or very old. We would have a rather large job on our hands if we tried removing ivy from all the trees affected but we often help a needy specimen! We had a lovely Easter, thank-you – I hope you did too. x
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Ste J said:
It is always wonderful to have a walk with you and see your area, it is a pleasure to see how the landscape changes throughout the seasons. How I long for more colour in the world again, at least the sun is back and soon it’ll be leaftastic! Your photos are great and the musical accompaniment is very fitting.
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clarepooley33 said:
Thank-you so much Ste! We had a lovely warm day today (though it’s pouring with rain now!) and lots of leaves decided it was time to make an entrance. All starting to look good!
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Know-All said:
While reading and looking at the photographs, I couldn’t help but wonder how different your neighbourhood is from mine! I mean, you guys would go crazy at the noise levels here…and I would probably go nuts at the deafening silence there! 🙂
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clarepooley33 said:
How funny! You are probably right! My brother-in-law who lives in Manchester, finds it much too quiet when he stays here and much too dark at night as well!
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Cynthia Reyes said:
Yep, that looks like spring all over! Glad you and Richard were able to go for a walk along the lanes. And thanks for sharing, Clare. My best to you and family.
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clarepooley33 said:
Thank-you Cynthia. I hope you and your family had a very happy and blessed Easter.
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Cynthia Reyes said:
We did, and thanks, Clare. I brought my cowbells to church on Easter Sunday and rang them like crazy and sang the hymns and shouted Alleluja at the top of my voice.
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clarepooley33 said:
I would love to have been there with you! I took my mother to her church and it was a joyous but sedate celebration!
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Cynthia Reyes said:
Our early service used to be very sedate too. But I’m a kid at Easter.
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clarepooley33 said:
I love to hear the bells ringing – it always brings a lump to my throat and tears to my eyes.
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Charlotte Hoather said:
Is it very flat ground where you are Clare? These photos do remind me of Cheshire at this time of year.
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clarepooley33 said:
It’s gently rolling countryside where I live though there are areas near-by which are flat (though not as flat as the Cambridgeshire Fens!). We are near the coast so only a few feet above sea-level. I think there are a few similarities between Suffolk and Cheshire as both are predominantly arable farming counties.
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womanseyeview said:
A lovely spring walk – even with the mud. Primroses are one of my favourite spring flowers but right about now I’d love to see any sign of spring with another heavy snow warning for tonight. What a wonderful pond you have and that new summer house is just waiting for warmer days.
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clarepooley33 said:
Thank-you. I hope your cold weather disappears soon and you get some warmer Spring weather.
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OrganicIsBeautiful said:
Lovely photos💚💛💚
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clarepooley33 said:
Thank-you very much!
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