Lords and Ladies

Did you know it's illegal to die in the houses of Parliament? Neither did I till yesterday. My daughter has been on a school trip to London this week to see The Lion King and the group were taken on a tour of the houses of Parliament. It's a very different world from the one we live here but I think that .as with everything. you learn more when it's something you don't do every day! It's always lovely to come home though!

She is currently sitting round a camp fire up at Torver on a dark and rainy night tucking into her tea ,having walked from Lowick this afternoon as part of a survivorship expedition. Her text message to me (warm and cosy in our cottage on a cold ,wet Saturday night) sounded upbeat and cheerful- she's pretty hardy my daughter!

Meanwhile at home I've been watching a Fieldfare as it has been building its nest in our pear tree. I thought it was a cuckoo at first.Its light markings made it very obvious as it flew backwards and forwards across the garden. You can see its nest, in the forked branch of a tree, exposed as the tree has not yet come into leaf although it won't be long as the buds will be in flower in the next few days!

I love this time of year. The clocks move forward tonight and we will have light evenings once more.My vases are full of daffodils,catkins and pussy willows and I've been planting up floral mugs with pansies and primroses to sell at our National Autistic society coffee morning next week.

I also have to visit our village churchyard. I'm told it hosts the dogtooth violet I was really surprised when I saw it's picture as I normally pride myself on my knowledge of wild flowers. This time though I was wrong. What I thought was the dog tooth violet is actually the sweet or common violet . You live and learn!