Outdoorsy Sunday

We are being blessed with the most gorgeously glorious weather here at the moment, it really is quite something. I wouldn't say that Spring has arrived yet as it is still terribly cold, but during the past week or so the sky has been oh-so-blue and the sun has been shining it's little heart out, and I've been loving it. Love-love-loving it!

Yesterday (Sunday) we awoke to a frosty, crisp late winters morning, with the aforementioned oh-so-blue sky and sunshine, and we decided to venture out and do Outdoorsy Stuff. It was nothing short of a miracle actually :: all five of us breakfasted, dressed, washed (well three-fifths of the family was washed, the Little People are exceedingly good at avoiding the bathroom these days, the dirty/lazy little tykes) and out the door by nine thirty. Yes, you read that right, Nine Thirty! And on a Sunday too!! Are you impressed?? Cos I most certainly was.

Destination :: Bolton Abbey. Of course. It's our number one choice when we want nearby Easy Countryside, and if you've been reading my blog for a while, you'll have heard me go on about Bolton Abbey on many occasions. Here, here and here for example, and lots of other times besides I expect. We don't ever tire of it here.

This was the first time we've been here with Little B though, so it felt kind of special. Just before Little B arrived, we acquired a very good all-terrain sooper-dooper three wheeler pushchair with sooper-dooper pumped up tyres. It came third-hand from my neighbour for a sooper-dooper good price, and it's errrmmmm.....well Sooper-dooper actually! Yesterday was it's first outing to an all-terrain type of environment and it was brilliant. We went happily up and down all sorts of steep woodland tracks, bumpity bumped up and down steps and ancient bits of tumbled down old Abbey, crossed fields and jiggety-jigged over cattle grates. Little B slept soundly the whole way, which was rather Sooper-dooper too.

It really was a most beautiful morning and it felt reeeeeally good to be out in it, walking in it, looking up at the sky (oh-so-blue) and feeling part of the Outdoorsy World again. I've missed it somewhat.

When we eventually came home (via the cafe for cappuccino and carrot cake and milk tankering activities), I found that I did not want to come inside. I really didn't. Wanted to stay Outside and wanted to continue to do Outdoorsy stuff and wanted to stay under the oh-so-blue sky for as long as possible. So I decided on the spur of the moment to go and buy some flowers and do some lighthearted gardening. A suitably Outdoorsy Sunday activity I thought, and pretty too.

So I bobbed down to my local supermarket and loaded my trolley up with Pretties to bring home. Little pots of narcissi and primulas. Oh so pretty-pretty! I swooned a little when I unloaded them from the back of my car, I just adore buying flowery plantlets en-masse like this, one of life's tremendous pleasures (remember the PPP's from last year?)

The mission :: to prettify my (very sad) hanging baskets at the front of the house.

It turned out to be a lovely thing to do cos Little Lady decided to join me. I swooned a little more at her excited request to help me out and it suddenly seemed an age since we did anything like this together.

We enjoyed ourselves. A lot. I loved that in her excitement she called me Mummy all the time, when usually these days she calls me a more grown up Mum.

Above pics show the Before and After. I let Little Lady do as much of the planting as possible, even though it meant that the end results are a little erm..what shall we say? Unbalanced perhaps? I promise you I'm not a control freak, but ooohh so so hard not to interfere in these matters! I just about managed it. But I might possibly have to fill in the empty gaps with a few more flowers. Just so, you know, so it looks centred and not all-over-to-the-left.

But anyhow, it's certainly a definite improvement on what was there before which was basically a collection of moss and Dead Summer Things.

Yes, a beautiful improvement I think.

Even if it is off centre.

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Comments

[Charlotte]

Lovely pictures today!

I remember people laughing when I described the 'off-road' capabilities of my buggy, but it get utilised every time I want to go to the park - plus tres useful in the snow!

Charlotte xx
http://housewife-chic.blogspot.com

[Heather]

Lovely lovely blue skies lately aren't there! I spent the morning in Leeds today and it was just gorgeous, I sat in City Square and waited for my meeting and it was just wonderful to be out in the sunshine (despite the cold and the fact that I paid £45 to come up and sign 4 forms).
I know Leeds City Centre doesn't count as outdoorsy like Bolton Abbey but it felt wonderfully independent - I hadn't realised how un-independent I had become but I suppose that's only natural in this situation.
Lots of love xxxxxxx ♥

[Lisha]

How wonderful to be in the great outdoors and have the sky so blue. It makes you feel like a veil has been lifted off, doesn't it? I love the photo's of Bolton Abbey and your little pots of colour.

Thanks for sharing your brightness.

Lishaxx

[Hookd in Hove]

Spring is definitely springing. So glad you got a whole day outdoors - I'm sure it did you the world of good. The abbey looks amazing; how lucky you are! xxx

[Jo]

Hi
Yes isn't this weather wonderful. It seems to have been the looonnngggest coldest winter this year. I am glad you are feeling bright and energised by it.

[Sandra]

WONDERFUL pictures- like always. It makes me feel like being on a short holiday :) Thank you!

[Jennifer]

9:30 is very impressive. I always panic slightly when we have an appointment set for something awful like 8:00 in the morning, as I think I will have to stay up the night before just to get everybody up and dressed etc in time. Your super-duper buggy sounds great, they can be a huge help on long gorgeous walks, which yours definitely was. How fun to do some planting with your little one, it looks great.

[Jeanette]

Oh you have come so much closer to spring than we have up in still very cold and very snowy Sweden...
But we have the same wonderful blue sky!!

[Waltraud]

Great pictures!
And thank you for the wonderful tutorials,
liebe Grüße
Waltraud

[FarmgirlCyn (Cindy)]

Oh! I don't hardly know what to say! The photos are stunning, the sky as blue as can be, and the grass ever so green. And the flowers...can I wait much longer for mine???

[Mary]

Hi Lucy, The pictures of Bolton Abbey are beautiful, such a perfect day. I spent many hours in Bolton abbey in a previous life, when I lived near Manchester, could never decide when my favourite time of the year was, but the feeling of awakening in spring is really special. Anyway those pictures were lovely and a real surprise. I have only recently found this blog ( only recently got the internet!) when searching for crochet ideas, and it is indeed a lovely place to visit!.
Living in Galway now, and after blue blue sky and clear clear air all day there is now millions of stars to ponder on. Amazing!

[AMZi]

Love your flower pictures, Lucy! Spring has finally arrived over here, too! Did you see the unveiling of my Granny Secret? Inspired by you, although very much still Amzi!

[Sandy]

I didn't even notice! What a lovely day you had.

[Jacquie]

Yesterday was super here in Nottinghamshire too. Great to get into the outdoors !!!! I too have fond memories of Bolton Abbey from my childhood ,Particularly floating down the river in a blow up boat in hot weather :0) don't know if that would be allowed today !!!!!!
I left Yorkshire at 21 years old and my mum followed a few years later .Mum ,who's a keen painter, often lamments about missing the great scenery in yorkshire and looking at your pictures I can see why . I never noticed it as Youngster !!!

[Alex Mason]

Love your new flowers. Thats excellent all being out for 9.30 i struggle sometimes when its just me and the dog! Have a lovely week xx

[Marian M-S]

I so envy your beautiful hikes!! We have some pretty nice hiking areas here in southern California where we live, but honestly, I'm not a huge fan of sticky sweaty dusty hikes. I much more like cool, fresh, pretty ruins hikes! Lovely :-)
And with two little ones of my own, my hat goes off to you for getting out at 9:30!!!

[Karin]

Lovely pictures and a beautiful blue sky.
These outdoor activities and the fresh air give so much energy.
What a great Sunday you had!

~X~ Karin

[Anne@andamento]

Bolton Abbey looks a lovely place to visit. Great weather! Overall, I'd say it's been an excellent winter weather-wise.

[Joyce Stewart]

Yes, here in Northern Ireland the weather is just the same...bitterly, bitterly cold but stunningly sunny...glad you got out of doors...Bolton Abbey looks great..you've inspired me to want to go there someday when we're over the small pond as it were.

[jane]

We've had a lovely couple of days here in South Carolina, US also. Spent today planting flowers and was totally content. How I wish I could visit your part of the world!

[Elizabeth]

Oh Lucy the world you live in is simply lovely.

[sumea]

your sweet little lady has made a much better job of her hanging basket than i did with mine this weekend. i blame it on the cold weather - it is sunny, but there has been a biting wind and below minus teperatures here in somerset. the frost lay on the ground all day on sunday. these crisp, fresh, sunny days (as your gorgeous photographs prove)are lovely though.
i never tire of Bolton Abbey, you can take me there as oft as you wish. i never tire of polly primroses either :o)
one thing i love about attic 24 is that is full of things we love and we get lots of helpings of our favourites, you are so kind to us xxx

love and hugs xxx

sumea

[Hannah Cotton]

Hi Lucy,
The pictures are lovely and I am also feeling so much more alive seeing daffs on my window sill in the sunshine, even if I do live in central London! I love your blog very much and thank you so much for all the patterns, and inspiration you give me. Best wishes to you and all the family, Hannah x

[Shelley in SC]

I'm sure no one can appreciate the coming of spring quite like a mom who's had a baby in the winter!! So glad you got some delicious gulps of warm spring air!!

[Louise]

Lovely baskets, I am sure the wonkiness of the planting only makes them look more natural. ☺ Beautiful blue skys and wonderful photos. Thank you for sharing.