Day 119 - April 29th

The Clematis growing up Mum & Dad's fence is covered in flowers. Its amazing how a bit of sunshine and a drop of rain can make everything spring into life.

Day 118 - April 28th

After a long wait, the Blue Bells in Mum & dad's garden are finally flowering.

There are also what look like white Blue Bells. 

Day 117 - April 27th

Lara has discovered a new type of sweet at the local shop - Chupa Chups Air Heads. Bright coloured fruit flavoured chewy sweets. 

Day 116 - April 26th

Red sky at night, shepherds delight.

Day 115 - April 25th

Time to take Christopher back to Uni. Time to take that long drive up the M1 past all the wind turbines ......

....  and through the roadworks and the average speed monitoring.

Day 114 - April 24th

Reading my blog you would think I was obsessed with blossom! So many blossom photos over the last few weeks, so here's another!

The trees on the grass verge in the High Road are in full blossom - a beautiful deep pink colour.

Day 113 - April 23rd

There's a new cat on the block.

This cutie has visited our garden a few times over the past couple of months. He belongs to the people who live over the road. 

The other evening when we were sitting in the living room with the lights on but the curtains not closed, he came right up to the patio doors and peeped in at us. Lara went outside to see him and spent quite a while petting him. She's quite smitten. 

I think he's possibly a Berman, but I'll leave the experts to confirm that.

He's quite timid. Although he ran straight up to me this afternoon and let me tickle him he kept shooting back under the bushes if he heard a sudden noise or if I moved too quickly. My Dad said he saw him having a standoff with Tux the other day which might explain some of his nervousness.

Day 112 - April 22nd

When I photographed the apple blossom on Sunday, I predicted that it wouldn't be long until it was in full flower. Just three days later and the blossom is almost full out.

Day 111 - April 21st

Although the majority of daffodils in the garden are now dying off, the supermarkets are still selling cheap bunches of daffs and a couple of bunches often end up in my online shopping basket. The only problem with buying daffodils from Tesco online is that you never know what variety of daffodils you're going to receive. Sometimes they are traditional large trumpet daffodils. sometimes narcissus. This week I received this really pretty small variety. The heads are only about two and a half inches in diameter and are lovely.

Day 110 - April 20th

Last year we saved the tubers from the Begonias which were growing in the raised beds. They have been in the greenhouse ever since and are now starting to shoot. They aren't as advanced as my Dad's Begonias but hopefully now that they have shot it won't be too long before they start to show some leaf.

Day 109 - April 19th

The blossom on the apple trees is just starting to appear.

Day 108 - April 18th

Temperatures in London reached 25C this week and we too have had some gloriously hot, sunny days. Today was no different. Look at the colour of the sky taken this morning whilst out walking with Millie. Just like summer.

We spotted lots of Cowslips, last week only just showing their colour, now in full bloom. 

Day 107 - April 17th

 The Kerria Japonica (Jew's Mallow) is now in bloom.

Day 106 - April 16th

Today we celebrated our second family birthday this month - Christopher turned 21 today.

As his brother and sister were both at school and Wayne was at work, the day was spent quietly at home. presents and cards were opened and later cake was eaten and bubbly drunk.

Day 105 - April 15th

Last Wednesday whilst i was in M&S I spotted several bunches of roses vastly reduced from £8 a bunch to £1 a bunch. They were right on their 'display until' date but I bought a bunch anyway half expecting them to only last a couple of days. A week later they are still looking lovely - such a bargain, and I would have bought more had I known how long they would have lasted 

Day 104 - April 14th

I that the blossom on the trees is under appreciated by many. I love this delicate white blossom next the road where I walk Millie.

Day 103 - April 13th

Today was the last day of the Easter half term holiday and as Wayne also had the day off work he took Lara to the Millennium Country Park at Marston Moretaine for a bike ride. I've blogged about the park before. It was created with lottery funding as a millennium project on land previously used for clay extraction, brick making and landfill and is a nice place for a bike ride or walk (with or without the dog).

Last year a wind turbine was erected in the park. The decision to allow the turbine was quite controversial but it was approved and is now a permanent feature on the landscape.

Day 102 - April 12th

The Aubretia is in full flower.

Day 101 - April 11th

The oil seed rape growing in the field we usually walk on a Saturday is now starting the flower.

The farmer who grows this crop produces their own award winning cold pressed rape seed oil from some of the seed. Maybe at the end of the season the seed from these plants will go into production of that oil.

Day 100 - April 10th

The tulips that I photographed only last week in tight bud are now, after some sunshine, in full bloom