Wednesday 4 March 2015

Wednesday Waffle . . .



 photo spring_zpse3ppflyw.jpg

Daffodils,
That come before the swallow dares
And take the winds of March with beauty;
Violets, dim,
But sweeter than the lids of Juno's eyes,
Or Cyntherea's breath."
~Shakespeare's Perdita, from The Winter's Tale

Yesterday we were able to let Mitzie go for a gamble in the garden proper beyond the gate.  The March winds have dried the grass just enough and we have had little enough rain that it was quite dry enough for us to risk it.  All the Daffodils are blooming . . .  perhaps if today is dry, I will risk it and go and take a few pictures.

Of course the nicest place to see the Daffodils in bloom is Ullswater . . . in the Lake District

 photo Ullswater_zpsz5c4qjrj.jpg

"I wandered lonely as a cloud,
that floats on high o'er dales and hills, 
when all at once I saw a crowd, 
a host of golden daffodils"
~William Wordsworth 

When Wordsworth saw that host of Daffodils "fluttering and dancing in the breeze" by Ullswater it was . . .  no doubt . . .  a sight most beautiful.   Sadly however when a flower is at it's fullest and brightest point of beauty, it is also nearest to it's moment of dissolution.

 photo villagecrocus003.jpg

This is especially so with spring blooms from bulbs.   The anticipation of them always lasts much longer than the beauty of them unfurled.  That is why  I love best the time when the thin pointed buds of the daffodils begin to break from teh sheaths in which they have been folded like tightly rolled umbrellas.  This anticipation of beauty yet to come is much sweeter than the contemplation of perfection . . .  at least I think so anyways.

 photo villagecrocus008.jpg

It's still cold . . .  what hardy plants are the spring time bulbs . . .  poking their heads up when the winds still blow and the temperatures are still quite low.   But still they come . . .  year after year . . .  in great clusters.  They do cheer the heart.

I have not seen any bumble bees as of yet.  When you see those you know that Spring has truly begun to arrive.   In North America it is the Robin . . . over here it is the Bumble Bee which heralds the advent of Spring . . .  those early awkward bumbling little bees, all fat and fuzzy.

One wonders at the miracle they are even able to fly . . .  their bodies are so fat and look so heavy . . .  their wings so tiny in comparison.   They are a small miracle in and of itself I think.   And still . . .  there are those who say there is no God.

 photo SDC15388.jpg

One does not have to look very far to see the evidence.  Each tiny leaf with it's three layers . . . the waxy transparent outer layer or epidermis, designed to prevent water loss . . . the mesophyll which is where photo-synthesis occurs (also a tiny miracle).  This layer also having two separate layers . . .  the tightly packed pallisade layer and the lower Spongy layer . . . and finally the veins  . . . leaves have veins, some of them very evident, some not so evident ,but all a part of the beauty that is a leaf all the same.

And don't get me started on the science of leaves changing colours . . .  dying out and coming back again.    It's all a miracle to me, and that is just leaves.   There are the trillions of snowflakes, no two alike . . .  the multiple parts of a flower . . . the planting of a seed.

The miracle of birth . . .  and of death.  It can be no accident all of this, but a matter of intelligent design.  You could never convince me otherwise.

 photo zzz.jpg

A thought to carry with you through today  . . .

   ❥✻❥.¸¸.✿¨¯`❥✻❥¸¸.✿¨¯`❥✻❥.¸¸.✿¨¯`❥✻❥
Happiness is the art of never holding in your mind
the memory of any unpleasant thing that has passed.
~Unknown
 ❥✻❥.¸¸.✿¨¯`❥✻❥¸¸.✿¨¯`❥✻❥.¸¸.✿¨¯`❥✻❥

 photo DSCN0819_zpspz5naeo7.jpg


Cooking in the English Kitchen today, a delicious Deep Dish Salmon Pie.


I hope you have a beautiful Wednesday and that it holds something very special for each of you.  Don't forget

═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ═══════════ ⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿
═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ═══════════

And I do too!!


8 comments:

  1. Morning Marie, I love the spring flowers as well..startng with the first wee snowdrops poking their wee heads through the hardest of ground..a complete miracle..I have a lot of "tet a tete" wee daffodils blooming in pots near the back door, this year for some reason they are particularily tiny I thought maybe that they needed a bigger pot or new compost however yesterday up at my friend in her garden she had these wee beauties and they were tiny as well...but they are all lovely just the same...The sun is shining brightly here this morning although think it was frosty earlier. Masy had me up at 5am she needed out...and it was cold then especially as the heating had not yet come on !!..I even went back to bed for another hour or so....Hope you have a lovely day and that Mitzie gets out for a run again xx

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love daffodils and freesias but it take true determination to grow them here. Enjoy them for me.

    It has been over 37 again. I am desperate for autumn but it seems we have this heatwave to live through first.

    Enjoy being out and about with Mitzie.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Daffodils are so bright and cheerful. I'm looking forward to seeing them for sure.

    ReplyDelete
  4. We are certainly blessed over here Sybil! Perhaps you bought some miniatire bulbs? I Love the tiny ones! It is dry here today, but a very cold wind is blowing.xoxo

    I can imagine that in your climate it is difficult for these things to grown Suzan! On the other hand you have some beautiful plants etc. that we cannot grow over here! xoxo

    I hope you don't have to wait too long for your daffodils Pam! xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  5. My bulbs would have to poke through FEET of snow;)
    I agree with you.I find looking at nature..babies..children..there is no doubt in my mind that God was the creator.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh Monique I know you have all had an excess of snow this year! I hope that Spring doesn't hold off too long for you. I remember as a girl living in Northern Manitoba and it seeming like it was almost into May before all the snow was totally gone! Those were the days! xxoo

    ReplyDelete
  7. Sweet lamb picture and sweet Mitzie too! I can't believe that you have Daffodils blooming already! It's snowing here in Colorado today...just lightly but we are far from seeing flowers blooming. We have late Springs in the Rockies. Each season is truly a marvelous wonder! Hugs! xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  8. Our Camelia bush is also blooming Valerie! Spring comes early here and it's lovely. I think there was an old film entitled Springtime in the Rockies. It was a musical (weren't they all!) Love you! xoxo

    ReplyDelete

Your comments mean the world to me, and while I may not be able to address each one individually, each one is important to me and each one counts. Thanks so much!