Spring Joy

After a long winter, the spring season has exploded all of a sudden here in my patch and it really is quite something. Despite the temperatures often remaining very wintry, it's been utterly beautiful and I've been out there drinking it in at every opportunity.

The blossom in the park reached it's peak at the start of May and it was absolutely breath taking this year. During my early morning walks I would stand underneath those floral branches and sigh with pleasure. They filled me with joy every single morning (even in the drizzle).

I went for a little rummage in the antique centre one morning and realised it had been a good few years since I'd last been in. It's a very quirky old place set across three floors, kind of ramshackle and chaotic with an old fashioned, nostalgic atmosphere. It's a wonderful place for a poke about as you never know what you might find - I picked out this teeny old glass bottle for £2 and it was love at first sight. It's perfect to display some miniature spring blooms, and yeah I'm a bit in love with that cute little viola too.

Do you remember me telling you a while back that I've got some new bedding? I've wanted to change my bedding for ages as my bargain £10 supermarket set has faded a lot with constant wash and wear over the years and was looking very tired. As I only ever own one set at a time, it's important to me that I really, really like it because it will be on my bed all the time for many years to come.

I fancied something relaxed that had the look of faded linen and I fell for this Pyjama Stripe design which has exactly the relaxed holiday vibe that I was after. It's not actually linen but is 100% cotton so it feels ever so soft, and I bought some blush pink linen covers for our second set of pillows. It occurred to me when I was plumping my pillows that my Dune blanket would go really well with this new look, adding to the coastal feel. It's inspiring me to think about decorating and refreshing our bedroom, it's about time we gave that room a bit of attention I think.

May weather so far has been very mixed, and in amongst the unseasonal cold we've had a few warm sunny days here and there. You can be sure that I've been out and about making the most of it and we enjoyed our first al fresco morning coffee of the year a few weeks ago. One of our favourite cafés has the cutest little courtyard garden for customers to enjoy, and it felt so good to be sitting outside enjoying the early spring warmth. 

The past couple of Sundays we've taken a local walk along the canal, setting out quite early before the tow path gets busy with cyclists and walkers. We have a good reason to walk this way, and that reason has feathers......

......which belong to this flock of chickens!

They free roam in this large field right next to the canal, and close to the farmhouse there is a wooden stand where you can put money into a little flowery tin and pick up a box of eggs. It's one of the joys of living in a rural area, and being able to see the chickens looking so happy and content going about their clucky business makes the eggs extra special.

The eggs in question are very fresh and are excellent for poaching because the whites hold together in a very satisfying blob (if you've ever made poached eggs using this method, you will know the utter satisfaction of whites that hold tight).

The yolks are super-golden.....

....and make my oat pancakes turn out bright yellow. As a result of our canal side jaunts, my Sunday brunch meals have mostly been of the eggy variety, and have made me very content with weekend life.

I'm getting a lot of joy from food at the moment, there is something deeply satisfying about making a meal for one that sits beautifully in a bowl and looks colourful and nourishing.

This was my lunch on Monday, a roasted sweet potato and chickpea salad with a simple olive oil/lemon juice/maple syrup dressing that really hit the spot. The secret ingredient was little snippets of sundried tomatoes, gosh, the flavours were something else.

J and I are walking every morning still, and have gone back to our woodland route now that mud season is over.

The wild garlic is in full flower and looks unbelievably beautiful at the moment. I think any flowers en masse have a really striking effect and although I get to see this spectacle every single year, I can never quite get over the sheer abundance of it.

The flowers are so, so pretty, and don't get me started on the heady scent in the woodland after a night of rain....I can't find words to do it justice.

On the morning when I was taking the wild garlic photos above, I came across a huuuuuuuge feather just laid in the middle of the pathway waiting for me. It was absolutely pristine and so big, just like you would imagine an old fashioned ink quill pen to look. I can't imagine what bird it would have come from as it's way bigger than any feather you'd expect to find in the woods. Any ideas?

Tilly was beside herself with the Wanties so I've had to hide it from her for now because I just know she would have hunted it down if it joined my feather collection on the mantel. Yes, I have a feather collection - of course I do. In fact, if you cast your eyes downwards and look at the photo below, you'll see it on the left of the mantel next to my Observer books....

.....do you see the feathers? Or were you too mesmerised by my gorgeous tulips!?! It's a good time of year for shop-bought tulips, they are plentiful and affordable and I really love having them on my table.

Talking of tulips, I came across something last month which I've squirrelled away in my brain for next year - a possible visit to an actual tulip field here in England, wouldn't that be something? The field in question is down in Norfolk and opens to the public for a few weeks each year to raise money for charity...oh my heart....I pretty much hyperventilated with excitement when I saw the photos. The open season is ticketed and in high demand I think, so it's a trip that needs careful planning with some good fortune thrown in. 

Ahh, it's been really good to catch up with you here in the Attic, I love sharing snippets of this and that, the little joys that make up my days. The spring season is extremely short here in the north of England because we have such lengthy winters, but in a way it makes them even more special. I hope you're enjoying this season too, and finding lots of little joys in your own days xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Roe]

Aww, I love seeing chickens roam around free like that :) This post felt like home. Thanks!

[AJ]

That feather must belong to a dinosaur or something, It's absolutely HUGE :) Great post as usual!

[Linda Betts]

My resident avian expert did a little research and says it’s a feather from the mid section of a goose wing, probably a right wing covert feather. The Brent Goose looks to be the right color. Do you have those in that area? Wish I could upload a picture.
This coming from a Texan who’s not set foot in Yorkshire!

[Aman]

Another great blog Lucy.
You always have such beautiful photos. Really love the quality of the photos you use.

[Gillian McM]

The pink jug with pink tulips made my heart beat faster - how wonderful! This post is a feast for the eyes. Thank you so much!

[Nora McGrann]

Another great blog Lucy..
You always have such beautiful photos..

Thanks for sharing…brightening up our days

Have a lovely weekend!

Nora 🥀🥀🥀

[CJ]

Lovely new bed linen, and it looks perfect with the Dune blanket, which I think is my favourite. I have just one set of bedlinen too, which really simplifies things. I found a lovely organic duvet cover on sale recently, very floral and I mostly bought it because it was organic and a compete bargain, but I absolutely love it now. I have a couple of vases of feathers on my mantelpiece too, a good feather can't be passed up. Not sure what yours is from, it's very impressive. CJ xx

[Kristine S]

SOO lovely to see flowers & some warmth... it's not even winter here in Australia yet & I'm freezing at night! 12 degrees in the house in the morning is too cold! I'm so looking forward to doing an Arena/Stitchtopia retreat in Ireland next month, and then YAY! Carcassonne France in October! Can't wait to see what you Stitchtopia lovelies will have for us to learn. Hugs & enjoy your flowers & walks (I'm going to try your poached eggs tomorrow!) 🥰👍

[Jools Morgan-Jones]

Beautiful post, Lucy - thank you 😊

[Simon]

Looking at the feather again, that quill is huuuge! Could it be from a goose and somehow found its way into the woods? Dropped by someone perhaps? I really think it's too big to be from a Wood Pigeon.

[Carol Blakeley]

I’m always filled with joy to see a new post with beautiful photos. Thank you for sharing.

[Elizabeth]

Your posts inspire serious Yorkshire lust! Just so beautiful! I envy the breadth of your walking choices. You must come home from such walks refreshed in body and soul. Here in SoCal, the jacarandas have passed their peak and are beginning to leaf out. Those lovely blue-violet blossoms overhead and scattered beneath the trees fill me with joy! They do not last nearly long enough. The compensation for the fleeting blossoms is that the leaves are just as beautiful -- long lacey fronds that look like ferns. I just can't get enough of them. Even the seed pods are lovely -- they look like castanetes. Another thing that fills me with joy is your lovely violet embroidery. The black background brings out the colors beautifully. So charming! Thank you again, for another visit to your part of the world. Deep contented sigh here.

[Mims]

thanks for the lovely post. I love your new bed linens look and vintage glass bottle. Hope you make it to see the tulips next year.

[Miriam]

It’s always a real pleasure to read your posts.
Have a nice afternoon,
Miriam

[Louise]

I'm absolutely soaking up your Spring photos. My favourite time of year and I'm counting down the days until it arrives here! In the meantime I'll drink in your delightful updates. I really recommend a good tulip romp. There's nothing like it. My hometown has a lovely tulip festival in Sept-Oct (it's Floriade in Canberra). Here in Melbourne there are also tulip fields open at that time of year but not as vast as the photos on the website you posted. They look unbelievably amazeballs. Do it. You'll love it. xox

[Karen Wagge]

Is this an idea for another blanket? Love tulips

[Kay]

Lovely post, as always. I don’t think it’s a buzzard feather (and incidentally the UK buzzard is a different bird to the one given that name in N America). Buzzard feathers are brown and striped. We see buzzards regularly gliding over our housing estate in Cheshire. My best guess is a wood pigeon - they are quite large birds and their largest feathers might well be that hat size and the colour is right.

[Kerridwen Niner]

What a lovely read. I enjoyed your photos once again, particularly the blossom ones which i think has just about gone where i am in the Midlands but i did alot of oohhhing and ahhhing over it :)

[Tineke]

Oh my, that looks like a raven or wild turkey feather, you don't have wild turkeys in the UK, have you? Oh, dear Tilly, you've to ravage that feather. I adore that little violet embroidery. And Tulips <3

[Jacqui]

Beautiful Such gorgeous writing and photos!
We are enjoying the countryside and fresh air on a farm in lincolnshire so lovely to be out of the smog!!!

[Susie]

I love all of your posts. You truly live in a beautiful part of the world. I would love to visit rural England someday (quite far from Australia).

[Simon]

It's a shame that you only showed us one side of the feather🪶 - is there more colour/patterns on the other? Given it's size and where you found it, I agree with Susan in that it's probably from a bird of prey🦅, probably a Buzzard. Love the gentle pink of your Tulips🌷🌷!

[Jane]

As a lover of tulips you might like to know that the fields in an area of the fens around Spalding Lincolnshire were always planted up with tulips and in years gone by there would be a procession of floats decorated with tulip heads, that were cut from the plants so that the bulbs could bulk up ready to be harvested, sorted and sold in the autumn, on the spring bank holiday Monday. It was taken to see the floats many times as a child and I remember it as always being freezing cold with a strong wind blowing off the north sea.
If you want to see what it was like there are videos on the internet.

[Susan]

Ooh, golly galoshes, such a lovely chatty, photographic post. Now who doesn't have a feather collection propped into a vase? I'm wondering if your large one belongs to some sort of "bird of prey". It's been 3 years now since we were over and I walked along the Leeds to Liverpool canal and how I miss all that beautiful scenery, the outdoor markets and meeting up with family & friends. Thanks for your great posts so I can still see somewhere I love. Take care & hugs from down under.

[Penny]

I have seen that exact expression on any number of kitty faces. Now I know the correct term for it - the Wanties! Must remember... That gave me a good giggle. It's lovely to hear from you, Lucy!