120/365 Not dead after all

I thought it was dead, but I'm pleased to see lovely new green shoots on it. Its a little conifer in a pot bought for my Mum, Christmas before last, decorated with a little spray-can snow and some tinsel. It's destined for the garden, just need to pick a good spot.

I wonder if it tickles going along those rough stems?!

The Clematis Montana is coming into bloom.

119/365 Red Tulips

These stunning red tulips were at JW's house this morning on her fabulous new table. I couldn't resist whipping out the camera while she put the kettle on. We had a good natter, catching up on news and putting the world to rights, and I have my shot for the day.

Thanks J :0)

After Jodie came home from school this afternoon she wanted to draw some flowers in the garden. She fetched the little step/stool from the kitchen and very carefully drew some forget-me-nots. I watched her for a while and managed to get this shot but she didn't want me to see what she was doing until she'd finished.

118/365 Gate & Saw Mill, Osmaston

The Saw Mill seems to be the usual 'star of the show', but the gate is beautiful too. I had a fabulous afternoon with fellow photographers and a group of walkers on a guided walk at Osmaston which included part of the Okeover Estate. The weather did not look promising, and we did have light rain but conditions improved for the latter part of the walk, so we didn't get too wet. I'll be posting an album on Picasa in due course, but have edited this shot for today's daily pic. For more info about the village and the estate click here.

Many thanks to TB at my photography club for organising it - the afternoon was so enjoyable I'm going to do it again on Sunday, but that will be at Lumsdale, near Matlock. Can't wait :0)

117/365 Alchemilla Mollis after rain

Alchemilla Mollis leaves are covered in tiny hairs which is why the rainwater pools like this and I love it, it fascinates me. It looks like its been sprinkled with diamonds. The forecast was for rain and it has rained steadily although not heavily all day. We've had quite a good dry spell, some proper spring-like weather and have been gardening. I would prefer mainly dry tomorrow afternoon though - going on a photography walk!

116/365 The Hanging Gate

After a hard weekend's work in the garden, what better reward than a lovely meal at our favourite country pub? This is The Hanging Gate - they have a new sign since our last visit, its a hanging gate, perfect. Its at Shottlegate on the A517 Ashbourne to Belper Road (put Shottlegate, Derbyshire into Google Earth, its east of the crossroads) and we should go more often.

When we order we have a painted wooden spoon with a number on (47 this evening) and that's what the waitress looks for when she brings the food, you have to place it in the pewter tankard with the cutlery so she can see it easily. Oliver brought along a magazine to look at. Jodie brought some colouring to do. Dad brought his wallet. I brought my camera.

115/365 Near Vicarwood Farm 2

The fields are turning yellow again near where we live. Oliver and I took a walk this evening up that curving track again (60/365; 34/365) and I got a few good shots. I had been a bit torn really and I compromised - I wanted to get to this point but didn't really want to walk all the way there, so we parked at the start of the track. After a week where we walked 7 of the 10 school runs, I felt I'd walked far enough thank you!

Rapeseed (Brassica napus)

114/365 Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum)

Why are some weeds so pretty? This weed flourishes at the front of our house where it does little harm at the moment, but I remove it if I see it in the back garden. When we tidy up our neglected frontage it'll be firmly & decisively dealt with. It took a while to identify it via the www, and I am pleasantly surprised to find it shares my Dad's name, Robert. Its still a weed though, so its going, eventually.

From http://web.guernsey.net/:

Description - An attractive weed with glossy green, well-cut leaves, bright red-stems and purple pink flowers. It is very similar to its close relative, Little Robin, Geranium purpureum, but that is generally a smaller plant, and anthers and pollen are lemon yellow, whereas in Herb Robert they are deep orange.

Habitat - Likes fairly rich soil, and can be found as a garden weed, or on roadsides and wasteland.

Comments - A common plant in Spring and early Summer. It was used herbally to stem bleeding, and the leaves are said to lower blood sugar levels, so it may be of use in treating diabetes.

The reason Herb Robert flowers were in the house was that Jodie wanted to pick several different flowers and stick them to a sheet of paper to make a flower picture. The blossom in the glass had its stems carefully dried on a piece of kitchen paper so the tape would stick to the stems. She also picked forget-me-nots, a dandelion, a bluebell and a Californian poppy. The bud in the background is Clematis Montana.

113/365 Half awake or undecided?

One of the (many) dandelions in our garden seemed half awake, or perhaps undecided about whether to be out or not this afternoon. I've never paid this much attention to dandelions before, so I'll be setting up an album just for dandelions later. They're much more interesting now I can get up close and personal with the macro lens. Had to wait until this afternoon for picture taking as both my batteries needed charging! :0}

Our acer perpureum has come into leaf.

And the lamium is in bloom.

112/365 Sun-kissed tomato

The morning sun kissed my bananas a while back, (50/365) and today it kissed this tomato. I've been waiting for a tomato photo opp with this tomato. So, quite early in the day I have the blog shot in the can... but then after school Jodie takes some daisies from her pocket and says they are specially for me, she collected them at school today. ;0)

111/365 Camera Shy Cat

I had a rare chance to get a shot of Rosie before she disappeared. Often she will be sitting quite still, I'll lift the camera to my eye, and she'll immediately walk away or out of the room, or behind the furniture. As it is so hard to focus on a black cat, I need her to keep still for a few seconds - she knows, so she moves.

Can't resist adding these images of Jodie... she's so lovely... ;0)

110/365 10+3=14

Jodie likes playing in tents made from a throw over the back of a couple of chairs. The late afternoon sun catches her busily writing out sums for me to do - I have to pretend I am at school. I also have to make sure I don't get all of them right. 10+3=14!

Note the little fairy cake wrapper ;0)

109/365 Baby snail

This little critter appeared this afternoon on an old Belfast sink Jodie and I cleaned up ready for planting. Needless to say I grabbed the camera quick before he slithered away - he is so tiny!

That's Jodie's index finger to show scale.

108/365 A Russian for the day

Oliver took part in a re-enactment event near York today. We could not have been made more welcome by MC who I had contacted several weeks ago with a view to Oliver getting involved. Now Oliver wants to join, M & C have given him some kit to get him started and Oliver has already been browsing decomissioned weapons on the internet! This shot shows him with a borrowed weapon. There will be an album on Picasa soon of the whole day - we had a fantastic time. Many thanks to MC for everything, and to brothers C & C as well for looking after him all day. See you at Whittington! Brilliant!

See http://www.orlik.org.uk/HOMEPAGE.htm for details of the group, The Russians, a la Dr Zhivago.

107/365 New boots

Tomorrow, Oliver will become a Russian, just for the day. We shall be attending a re-enactment event at a history festival near York. He'll be joining a Russian re-enactment group, wearing some kit on loan, manning the machine gun noise box which replicates the sound of a machine gun on the battlefield, and also taking part in the grand history parade. He needed military-style boots and we found the perfect pair yesterday, soft leather so they shouldn't rub, and they were a good price too. Tomorrow's pic will probably be of the event.

Meanwhile - after we arrived at the B&B, we went for a stroll up the road towards a barracks (which is in the background here) and Jodie wanted her picture taken by the postbox, and Oliver joined her (quick - press that shutter!) and Mark did too. With recent proposed changes in the law with regard to photography and terrorism... a shot like this could land me in big trouble! Do I look like a terrorist to you?? ;0)

106/365 Mark

I decided it was past time that my hubby was blogged! So here is Mark, chilling in our conservatory earlier today.

105/365 Shade #210, Ethereal

Us girls, we re-did our nails today. I rarely wear nail polish, but for last Sunday's wedding Jodie and I both wore this shade, it was Jodie's first time. As it's still the holidays I said she could have her nails done again. She keeps very still while I apply it and doesn't move her hands at all until I say its ok. After they were done I dropped her off at a friend's house for afternoon tea with several of her school friends. They had a great time.

104/365 To Let

Our current neighbours have finally found a house to buy and so we may soon have new neighbours. We wish S, L, R & S much happiness in their new home and hope they keep in touch. We have been very lucky with neighbours here, we could not have wished for friendlier ones. When we moved here in 1995, Mrs N handed me a jar of home-made marmalade over the fence, and she had written 'Welcome' on the label.

103/365 Laptop Central

Alex & Lauren, surfing the net, facebooking, etc etc... Since my brother married Suzanne yesterday I figured out that Lauren is now my step-neice, seeing as her Mum is now my sister-in-law. Wedding pics abound on facebook from almost everyone who attended the wedding seems like! When I arrived at Suzanne & Rol's house this afternoon Suzanne was just looking at mine on the Picasa page. Everyone had a great time, and they're all tired but happy ;0)