Nature Treasure Boxes

O's decorated treasure box.

An adventure to our friend's lovely wood to fill it, with things from nature ( mmm orange is abit doubtful ! ) matching up the colours painted at the bottom of each section.

Leaves, berries, wild plums ... the wood was a larder of treasures.

We looked at soft and hard, smooth and spikey.

O at nearly 3, loved this activity, chasing round the wood to find his goodies, so very proud when he had found all the sections.

Inspired by the lovely Kelly and her boys http://freeflowingways.blogspot.com/

Summer Sunsets

A vision of light , colour and darkness.

A delight for the senses.

A time to stop, be still and wonder.

A goodnight from the Earth.

A promise to return.

In the Garden

We have been enjoying every bit of weather gifted to us recently, from searing hot sun to long days of rain to thunder and lightening storms that have lasted hours, keeping everyone awake into the small hours.

I dared to dance a brief naked salute to the Goddess in one of these storms, hoping the darkening sky would hide me from my neighbours. I was repaid with a wonderful feeling of lightness, wellness and content.

The garden is booming from this warm rain, the broad beans, cabbage, lettuce, beans, courgettes, pumpkins and so many other goodies are growing before our eyes, snaking up sticks, spreading across the earth and looking so wonderfully healthy and happy.

O delights in the mud, building, creating and digging, lining toys up for mud moving duties that keep him busy for hours, days.He is covered at the end of these mammoth sessions, his hands thick with earth, his clothes barely visible beneath such a thick coating but his smile is huge, beaming through the muck, his eyes sparkle, his lessons from Mother Earth learnt.

Beach Babes

As we headed back to the car after an afternoon of miniature train rides, running in orchards and on sand, stories told in a barn, watching the sea, ice creams and fish and chips, we spotted these beach beauties, wonderful Mamas and their young.

Somehow, it made saying goodbye to good friends at the end of a lovely long weekend easier.

Along the Riverbank

After lusting over blue skies, sandy beaches and hot sun, it's good to stop and take a fresh look at what is on your doorstep.

Lush, green beauty, not 15 minutes from home, so easily missed as we rush passed on the way to somewhere else.

I could have watched this little beauty and his siblings for hours, dashing up and down the river.

And then home, right outside my front door, my view, fields of gold, glowing in the sun.

Which made me think of this beautiful poem.

Oh, to be in England
Now that April's there,
And whoever wakes in England
Sees, some morning, unaware,
That the lowest boughs and the brushwood sheaf
Round the elm-tree bole are in tiny leaf,
While the chaffinch sings on the orchard bough
In England - now!

And after April, when May follows,
And the whitethroat builds, and all the swallows
Hark! where my blossomed pear-tree in the hedge
Leans to the field and scatters on the clover
Blossoms and dewdrops - at the bent spray's edge
That's the wise thrush; he sings each song twice over,
Lest you should think he never could recapture

The first fine careless rapture!
And though the fields look rough with hoary dew,
All will be gay when noontide wakes anew
The buttercups, the little children's dower, -
Far brighter than this gaudy melon-flower!

Robert Browning (1812-1889)

Blessings at Beltane to All

Beltane

Fresh blossoms,

Bouquets of intoxicating confetti

Strewn extravagantly around

In their season

To celebrate the May.

A sky of pale velvet lined with fleece,

Sun-warmed to ecstasy;

Dewdrops still glistening, wet

Upon a tapestry of greens

Today is the betrothal.

Ripe and fertile,

Lush with longing

The awakened imagination

Quickens to the vital pulse

Of promised fulfillment

round and round the pole they go

entwine their ribbons to and fro

As the white hawthorn blossoms

Scatter in the gaiety and laughter,

Once-virgin furrows, fecund,

Fill with new life germinating afresh

In the womb of our Mother.

As joy is the fulfillment of innocence,

So the berry is the joy of the bud.

And the silent starry wheel

Slowly turns full circle round

As it was in the Beginning.

* * *Beltane © Domino 2005

30 Days of Beauty : 28

Blessings on the blossom,
Blessings on the fruit,

Blessings on the leaf and stem,
Blessings on the root.



Happy Earth Day to all.

Garden Visitors

To be part of the hive of activity going on in our garden, we need to stop, be still, wait and watch.
All of our senses are brought to life, sweet bird song, warm sun touching our faces, the most amazing floral perfume,sights of natural beauty and the tastes of Spring.



Our visitors are many and so varied, our garden is full of life, learning and love.

O is enjoying the ducks visiting our front garden, he quacks along with them.

Our nest found in the tree house http://abigsmile4.blogspot.com/2010/04/garden-treasures-inc-30-days-of-beauty.html is the home of a lovely pair of Robins.We have been watching them from a distance, busily preparing for their new arrivals.

We also have Blackbirds nesting in the hedges in the front and back gardens.

Thanks to 5 Orange Potatoes for this wonderful getting outdoors project and for making us
Outdoor Challenge Participant of the Day -
http://www.5orangepotatoes.com/blog/2010/04/15/repel-insects-strips-outdoor-challenge/

Garden Treasures inc 30 Days of Beauty : 26

Morning coffee in the garden, complete with Lincolnshire Plum Loaf, topped with thick slices of cheese.
While we relaxed the hustle and bustle of the bird world never ceased.

Our Sparrows are back, again choosing to nest in the bat box rather than the box set up for them.

With full plum loaf tummies we decided to spruce up the tree house, this unloved kitchen was long over due for recycling.

After pulling it out, it was quickly returned to it's spot.

Someone has other ideas for it.

My day 26 of 30 days of Beauty.

Round the Garden

We are joining in with this fun project, hosted by http://www.5orangepotatoes.com/blog/ and with the great weather we are finally having, who could fail to not want to get out and top their Vitamin D back up.

Our garden is approx 2500 square feet, within that we have a veggie patch, greenhouse, patio, tree house and a 14ft trampoline !

Facing to the South, it is a wonderful sun trap, thankfully our lovely apple tree gives us not only tasty apples but shade when needed too.

Our dog Sky shares this space with us, so it is far from pristine but a great spot for play, investigating, relaxing and star gazing.

Fairies love it so much, they have set up home here.

Stocking up the medicine chest, calendula seedlings.

Hours are lost playing in the sand.

All hands on deck for the annual out-door toy scrub down, not sure who ended up the wettest but know that O was certainly the dirtest, happiest little boy in our garden.

What goes on in yours ?

Refreshing the Soul

With dirt on our hands,

Planting new life.

Learning about touch, taste and smell.

Gushing saved spring rains.

Spotting yellow butterflies.

Living and Learning from Mother Nature, wrapping us in her Spring cloaks of new life, freshness and Hope.

30 Days of Beauty : 20

Hello Spring.

Welcome Back.

It is so wonderful to see you, to smell you, to feel you.

Stay Awhile.

Happy Days.

30 days of Beauty : 16

But every time it rains,
Your here in my head,
Like the sun coming out.

I just know that something good is going to happen.

And I don't know when,

But just saying it could even make it happen.

On top of the World, looking over the edge,

You could see them coming.

Cloudbusting - Kate Bush