Wednesday 15 April 2009

Innocent Pleasures ...


Dear Mr Postman .. it's at this time of year that we seem particularly to appreciate small pleasures .. spring has sprung and all tiny things appear wonderful .. we are grateful to see you on this wonderful sunny day ..

Going back to yesterday's letter and the news of burgeoning spring .. when I went to the hospital I realised I'd missed so many other wonderful new beginnings .. the berberis hedges with their amazing orange clusters, turning to dark purple berries later on - which the birds luxuriate on, - another Darwin find during his Beagle voyage down South America. We had these hedges in our garden .. great prickly lines with these fantastic orange blooms ..

I love the dark streaks of branches, stems, twigs .. that suddenly show life .. and give a promise of spring and new growth .. another plant we had at home and is coming into flower now is the flowering quince (Japonica or Chaenomeles) .. I just love the colour - described as bright orange scarlet .. to me it's got some pink in it .. just beautiful.

The tulips, grape hyancinths, late daffodils, narcissi, pansies, irises, narcissi, wall flowers - this huge array of carpets of blooms .. the verges in the country are full of primroses, primulas, violets - backed by the sprouting white flowered blackthorn or sloe (used to infuse gin .. my mother remembers making some in the days when she drank gin!) - all promising of other pleasures to come.

The common blackbird, recorded by Linnaeus as far back as 1758, with its yellow eye-ring and bright orange beak is darting around bobbing up and down as it prepares to nest in gardens, hedges, thickets ... the male starts singing in late March - a wonderful musical warble followed by a high pitch finish, then starts again .. the song is magical and has been sacred to folklore.
The Skylark is another bird immortalised in our culture - this year 2009 we seem to be lucky: spring is taking its normal course, we've had a typical winter/spring build up with slowly increasing temperatures allowing our vegetation to take its natural course.

When we're out in the country on warm days we can take in the innocent pleasures of spring without a second thought and watch the skylark as it rises straight up to hover at distant heights singing its lofty song before it plunges down .. my mother and I were talking and laughing about the memories of our walks in the country listening and watching the distant specks high in the blue skies of spring.

Are you experiencing the innocent pleasures of our northern hemisphere spring?

You are enjoying your post rounds now? - that's good news to hear .. it is wonderful being out and having some of that warming sun on our backs .. thank you so much bringing us this positive letter ..
Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters

11 comments:

Peter Baca said...

Hi Hilary,

Your post today reminds me that Spring is such a wonderful season! We have a lot of birds here...all different types. Actually, we have a flock of parrots...they are not indigenous. We suspect that a pair excaped and probagated. They really make a lot of noise!

What is flowering in our garden in Southern California bougainvillea, which is a desert bush with vines. Give them some water....you will be rewarded with beautiful red and purple flowers.

Thanks for the trip down Spring lane!

Pete Baca
The Car Enthusiast Online

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Pete .. it is amazing - I just went down the road & it's more of a blaze of colour today than yesterday. I saw that film on the Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill in SF .. it was fun .. so I know what you mean they escaped .. we have them too .. but our noisy birds are the seagulls, and the crows - cruel birds! (who've moved in to the town recently).

Bouganvillea .. I do know from South Africa - great branches of wonderful pink bracts with tiny white eyes .. purple and red too .. they are an amazing display.

Pleasure - just glad you enjoy your trip down Spring lane - late April into May is a brilliant time to visit England.

Thanks for sharing your ideas ..

Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters

Giovanna Garcia said...

Hi Hilary

Thanks for the reminder to go out and enjoy the pleasures of spring. As I look out the window, I am reminded that I need to take a walk.
Thank you for sharing,
Giovanna Garcia
Imperfect Action is better than No Action

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Thanks Gio - I hope you are enjoying, will enjoy your walk .. and breathe in fresh air, new beginnings and more doses of imperfect action for the day ahead.

Thanks for visiting ..
Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters

Tess said...

Hilary,
I'm heading back to MI for 9 days. I like spring in AZ but I love spring in MI. I plan to breathe in and enjoy each second.

Tess said...

I'm heading for Michigan for 9 days tomorrow. I plan on breathing in and enjoying every moment of spring. It's not the same in Arizona.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Tess .. I guess Minnesota? - nope Michigan .. even colder? Enjoy spring if it's come up there ..

Thanks for visiting .. The Bold Life - is a good blog to visit - I'd love to see you back for a bit of England and a different take on life - inspiring those who need input in their lives .. with triggers we can use to open up the dialogue ..

Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters

Unknown said...

Hello Hilary,

I like your way of describing season change in UK. It is very colorful and beautiful. I felt like being in the sun with you when you felt that.

Thank you for your sharing.

Shaw Funami
Fill the Missing Link

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Thanks Shaw for visiting .. and I'm glad you enjoyed the feel of our English sun! It is just such a wonderful time of year.

All the best

Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters

Marketing Unscrambled, Home edition said...

As it is snowing here in Utah. I am glad that someone can feel the nice warm sun. Thank you Hilary for the wonderful way that you have with words. I agree with Tess, Michigan in spring is very pretty. We lived in the country when we lived in Michigan. All the farmers tilling the ground and the plant coming up. Great times. Arizona has it's own beauty in the spring. But I like the Mountains of Utah the best if it ever stops snowing this year, it would be nice. Thank you Hilary. Have a good day.
Dan and Deanna "Marketing Unscrambled"

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Dan and Deanna .. thanks for visiting .. snowing again in Utah? I was so glad when our snow and cold went .. I'd had enough this year!

You have so much wealth of diverse seasonality across the States .. one day I'll be over to experience these three.

Your mountain back drop must be lovely ..

Thanks for visiting and sharing your thoughts ..

Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters