Cold Stopped Blogging for a Few Days

Normal service will be resumed, once I do not need to blow my nose every five seconds:-)

Sunshine and Sneezes

A short blog today as I am suffering with my viral souvenir of Hong Kong - sore throat, blocked nose and cough. Anyway, it has been a sunny day with blue skies to greet Bella and me when we went out this morning.

A bonfire of all the hedge cuttings (the hedge was pretty overgrown before).

Sticker on a car window. Clarksdale is a notable blues town - Bessie Smith died there, Sam Cooke and John Lee Hooker were born there.

The sun through our stained glass window provided a changing pattern from one moment… 

… to the next. 

The view this afternoon was just as sunny as this morning, and there was some heat in the sun.  Could Spring really be on the way? 

This day a year ago, I was at UWE and interested in this pattern of buttons in a lift… 

Silver Wedding Flowers, Hailstorm and Toad Alert

A cloudy and fresh start to the day.

Snowdrops. 

I liked the way the sun shone on the trunks of these trees. 

More promising blue skies looking eastwards. 

An abandoned woolly hat on this drain cover - retrieved and hung up for the owner to find… 

Just as I was heading off to UWE for a dissertation progress review meeting, the skies opened and we had a hailstorm. 

Later on the sun reappeared and made these chimneys gleam. 

On the way home, I spotted this sign at the top of Charlcombe Lane - it doesn't stop all the traffic going down, but I haven't seen any squashed toads there.

Today is our silver wedding anniversary - Ben & Lena sent us this lovely bunch of flowers to mark the day. 

This day a year ago, I spotted this Chinese lantern with Chinese writing on… 

Sunshine, Gambling History and Flowers

Wet early on, but by the time I went out around midday the sun was shining and there was blue sky behind the clouds.

Little Solsbury looking good with big clouds over it.

I caught the bus (got to get use out of my bus pass!) down into town on a secret mission…

 Looking down a side street in the sunshine.

Betting shop in a Georgian building - quite appropriate seeing as Bath was the gambling capital of its day (a Georgian equivalent of Las Vegas).

Later on, when it was time for Bella's afternoon walk, the sun make this striking pattern on our hall wall through our stained glass window.

I liked the spreading branches on this tree.

The first little jonquils I have seen - getting ready for St David's day on Saturday.

Big clouds over Little Solsbury with more blue sky.

This day a year ago, I enjoyed looking at our lovely specimens of hellebore in the back garden.

Looking Around Bradford on Avon

Out with Bella this morning, I admired these fungi on a tree trunk.

We went over to Bradford on Avon for a wander around, and saw their flood defenses - they look a bit Heath Robinson, but apparently worked very well in the recent deluges.

End of season madness indeed… 

They are made by a Swedish company if the website address is anything to go by. 

The river is still running high but contained within its banks. Let's hope the rain holds off…

Passed this pub with flamboyant sign.

A very old hotel... 

This looks much more like a town hall than a Catholic church. 

A golden post box - Su told me they are to commemorate medal winners …

Where to go for booze and pies… 

Moss in a drain caught my eye. 

Spotted this unusual top floor window in the eaves.

Here is the smallest window ever… 

Looking down the narrow lane to the river. 

Classical busts of Hygeia, Aescalaepus, Galen, Minerva et al adorning the outside of this building. 

Outside an old mill now converted for housing, a plaque commemorating the many employees who died in the First and Second World Wars.

The original gatehouse. 

I liked these bicycle racks on the way to a Farmer's Market in the courtyard. 

Another very old building 

This day a year ago, we went to Bristol to see Richard Thompson - as usual an excellent performance. 

Another Year, Another Birthday…

Awake bright and early this morning to see a lovely sunrise - the sun is moving round to the north gradually as Spring approaches - we now have sun at the bottom of our north-facing garden after months of none.

Sunrise at the back of the house - it won't be long before we see the sun rising over Little Solsbury once more.

We went out for breakfast at the Secret Garden Cafe at Prior Park garden centre and then popped in on the Farmers' Market at Green Park Station afterwards.

It's a very popular market in a great setting.

Got some baked cheesecake with which to celebrate my not-21-again birthday today. Have just had it after a lazy day of catching up with TV viewing after my Hong Kong trip followed by a snooze and a yummy tea.

I got lots of surprises for birthday presents, including this excellent rhubarb plant sitting in a pool of most welcome sunshine earlier on.

This day a year ago, it surprisingly was also my birthday and we went to Prior Park garden centre where we saw this triptych of wheelbarrows.