Cold Blue Skies, Elections and Film

A very cold start to the day - when I turned the corner to this view, the wind chill was dramatic.  Great to see blue skies again though after the unremitting grey of the last spell of weather.

Evidence of a cold night. Tonight is forecast to be much colder.

Spent the day at UWE teaching. Just what every classroom needs at the front - a scale model of a spiral staircase with a mug of old tea on top.

It's election time for the Student Union at UWE, so there's a rash of naff posters all over the place.

On the way to the lecture, spotted these drums lined up and wondered what they were for.

My query was answered in the lecture theatre when we were disturbed by drumming noises from these three outside. It was an election stunt around the slogan "drumming up support for education" on one of the naff posters.

On the way home, the sky went very dark and then the road was covered in swirls of snow flakes - positively blizzard-like at one stage.

Back in Bath, Su gave me a lift down Lansdown. Caught this view up George Street.

On the way through town, saw this questionable slogan from Starbucks with added graffiti.

Went to the Little Theatre to see Acoustic Routes, a film about Bert Jansch, who died in 2011. The film was a rehash of a 1992 BBC documentary - unfortunately with no more recent footage, especially as Bert was "rediscovered" by a new generation of musicians before he died. Some great playing though, and a must for anyone who ever tried to learn his songs. Mercifully, Su picked me up afterwards, saving me from the howling wind that is blowing outside.

This day a year ago, we enjoyed bluer and warmer skies walking above Primrose Woods.

Su's news story of the day:  
Nude cyclists call for more bike lanes
in the Independent i news matrix

Return to Victoria Park

Stayed in until lunchtime when I ventured out to Whiteways garden centre to buy some smokeless coal for our stove - it's cheaper there than from the coal merchant! Took Bella with me and swung by Victoria Park for a walk on the way back. These croci have seen better days, but still a nice splash of colour.

Swans and ducks were getting fed as we walked by the pond. It was really cold with a chilling wind so we didn't dawdle.

Tyre tracks? 

I used to come down here most mornings with Bella when I was working at UWE full time, but I haven't been here for months.

As the croci die back, the daffodils take their place. Now there is more blossom about, and Spring seems to be happening despite the greyness of the weather. 

 A proper show of daffodils at last!

The gasometer is still there, although its days are numbered. Plans are afoot to knock it down and build houses. 

Then it was time to go to Bristol for our monthly infusion of delicious dim sum at Dynasty. This was the aftermath. 

This day a year ago, the weather was more clement than today. I was up at Charlcombe churchyard with Bella, enjoying the sunshine along with this daffodil. 

A new feature: Su's news story of the day: 

Dog TV is launched in Israel for home alone pets

(even humans watch it…)

Quiet Day after the Party

We had a very successful Get Together raising funds for Oxfam last night - so far we have over £200, and look set to get close to £300 with promises of money from those who couldn't attend last night. Opening the door to go out with Bella this morning provided a reminder.

The felting on this shed roof has been gradually detaching itself over the winter - this looks like its bid for freedom. 

We've had a fairly quiet day - a little fragile for some reason :-). We took Bella out for a walk this afternoon and spotted the first tulips of the year.

Meanwhile, the snowdrops continue to enjoy a bumper year as this profusely covered front garden shows.

The first apple blossom is starting to come out - hope that the forecast cold snap doesn't  affect it too badly.

Out in the fields with Bella. There was a deer making its way across the field a few moments before I took this - Bella didn't spot it before it took off into the woods.

Two horses and a donkey living in the field lower down the valley. 

This day a year ago, it was a grey day like today. We went to Alice Park to drink hot chocolate in the cafe and for Bella to chase after her ball.

Poetry, Flowers and FundRaising

A damp and grey morning, with raindrops dripping off every branch.

The new signs on the nearby patch of woodland have attracted amendments with quotations from poetry - this one from Robert Frost's "Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening".

An old Mercedes without its badge. 

Another qoutation - this one from Rudyard Kipling's "The Way Through The Woods". An impressively literate graffiti exponent.

It was even murkier than yesterday morning, although it has gradually cleared up up throughout the day. 

We went off to Prior Park to look at flowers - liked the contrast of these yellow ones against their dark foliage. 

Hyperbright anenomes! 

This afternoon, we were vsited by a large pair of crows who intently broke off and expertly stripped birch twigs for nest-building.

Tonight, we are hosting an Oxfam get-together for friends and neighbours as a fundraiser for women's education, tying in with today's date - we wish all our female readers a Happy International Women's Day! Our winter-flowering cherry sprouted some unusual flowers.

Rearranged the house to accomodate a gathering - and Bella wasn't sure where to put herself (we've moved her bed upstairs for the evening).

This day a year ago, I was up at the Brockham End woods experimenting with panoramic views of the trees.

Through the Murk

Out with Bella this morning, it was grey and drizzling - but the plants liked it as these fresh green shoots showed.

Cloud levels were low - with the top of the valley obscured. 

At last, some opened daffodils in full show. 

Su was my taxi again today as the parts for the van exhaust weren't available until today. It was a miserable, wet drive.

On arrival at the UWE campus, spotted this rather snazzy all green bike - right down to the tyres!

Up in the music technology staff office, a poster aimed at publicing the over-use of compression technology in many of today's music releases. An ostensibly technical point about dynamic range until you hear the difference! Check out the website at http://DynamicRangeDay.com

After a day of teaching, Su picked me up and we drove back over Lansdown into the clouds. 

A murky prospect with our heads well in the clouds - and the rain as well. 

Coming down into Bath, the rain eased off, but the murk persisted. Su dropped me off to pick up the van, which thankfully had not needed as much money injected to fix the exhaust as I had feared!

This day a year ago, the day started off grey and wet, but ended up sunny with blue skies. I went down to the end of the garden, enjoying the sunshine and admired our unfurling sambuca leaves.

Flowery Walk

An overcast, mainly dry day. Spent the morning teaching in Bristol and then home for lunchtime (no band practice today because Bob is off on placement visits). After lunch took Bella out for a walk - weather still quite mild and the afternoon was very peaceful.  There are loads of snowdrops still in flower.

This brilliant heather brightened up the afternoon. 

This garden was landscaped with lots of planting and a pond put in just a couple of years ago, Now it's all been trashed so the extension can be built.

These daffodils are nearly out. 

Primroses are getting into their stride now - these specimens are looking good. 

I don't know the name of this flower, but it's also a welcome splash of colour on a grey afternoon. 

A good stand of hellebores. 

No sign of frogs or toads coming down the hill yet (when it rains this weekend, we'll probably see amphibian activity) - an abandoned glove on Charlcombe Lane instead.

At last, a properly open daffodil up at Charlcombe churchyard. 

Bella plunged into the Holy Well a couple of times, chewed her way through a few small sticks and then found this big one which she convinced me to throw for her to chase until she had enough.

On the way back up the hill saw these individually tagged sheep grazing. "Come in Number 3, your time is up." 

This day last year, I went over to Nailsea to play some music with Bob. Couldn't post pictures for some reason, but promised to make up for it the next day.