Withy Brook: April 2009

I've been tagged by Mountaineer who was the first to respond to Milla's Moans.
I have not done a Meme before. Is this because I don't read many blogs? It is a time thing you know.

What is your current obsession?
Trying to get the garden weeded throughout, before the weed seeds start to germinate. As the rain has come, I know I have lost the battle.

What are you reading?
The Great Western Beach, which is the Purple Book Club's current read. An absorbing book but as I only read before going to sleep at night, it is taking a long time.

First spring thing?
I suppose the first glimpse of white from the first snowdrop - but everyone says that. The Robin, who sings all winter, off and on, is also promising spring.

What's for dinner?
We've already eaten it. The very first asparagus from the local Pick-your-own. Absolutely delicious al dente and with melted butter. That was followed by lightly grilled lemon sole fillets, with a dash of lemon juice, buttery mashed potatoes and steamed Broccoli. A feast. No pudding because we never do.

Which item from your wardrobe do you wear most often?
A Beaver waistcoat. Whenever I am at home, it is on my back, unless the weather is very warm. It is necessary to keep me warm, to provide 2 pockets for tissues (I have a nose problem) and also to hold my small secateurs, without which I cannot enter the garden.

Planning to travel to next:
The Pembrokeshire coast, just North of St David's. We have travelled to several far off countries in the last few years, including Egypt, Russia, China and India. Now we want to explore our own country and Ireland. This trip is because a niece is getting married in Somerset and SouthWest Wales is not that far away. Our next proper trip will be to the far North of Scotland and possibly Shetland and the Orkney Islands. When the exchange rate is better we intend to go to the SW of Ireland. I desperately want to go to New Zealand but not sure that I will be able to persuade my other half to travel that far.

Last thing(s) you bought:
Yesterday we visited Sam Turner - a company that was originally a moderate sized Agricultural Merchant. Many, many years ago I remember buying binder twine there. It wasn't brightly-coloured artificial fibre in those days. It is now the empire of a Blogger that I happen to know. I bought a garden sprayer, a tree tie and some flexible plant tie. A strange little group. My companion bought a pair of trousers amongst other things - for her son, you understand. There is no end to the range of things we could have bought. The problem was resisting the temptation.

Flowers of the moment.
The lilac is about to come out. I think it is the scent really, though I love a tree in full flower. The Paeony will be out before too long too. What a blowsy lady she is.
Favourite ever film
It is hard to pick one from 70 years of viewing. I think Gone With the Wind probably wins the accolade, though it was a very long sit.

Earliest memory?
A tit pecking the tree under which I was lying in my pram and frightened.

Favourite childhood toy?
My little rocking horse - Black Beauty

What television star or stars would you like to eliminate?
The one on the screen at this moment. It happens to be Graham Norton but it could be a number of others.

Care to share some wisdom?
Never make assumptions. I have done it so often, only to find I was wrong - and I still do it.
When you are young, follow your star with courage - and it often does takes courage to launch into the unknown.

Here are the Rules - because there are always rules:
Respond and rework. Answer questions on your own blog. Replace one question. Add one question. Tag some people. It should be 8 but I can't believe there are 8 people left in the world who've not had this tag. Perhaps there may be one?
Blossom
Faith
Crystal
Seashell
Bradan
ChrisH
Patsy
@tm

April flowers, or most of them - Aubretia, most of you will have them out solidly. Not here yet.

Anemone - all that are left from a great many

Miniture daffodils, can't remember which, with Pulmonaria.

Newly planted Osmanthus delaveyii

Betula ermanii pendula with lots of catkins on teh way

This bowl of pansies by the Conservatory door gives me great pleasure as I go in and out.

Sadly, the Ribes flowers have been battered by a hard frost

There a couple of patches of violets. I put a single flower on the picture forum

This Salix is one of those oddities that I buy occasionally - a small, weeping willow grafted onto a larger variety. I wait to see what will happen in a year or two. It has to be cut hard back after the pussies are over.

Believe it or not, this Forsythia is the one that you see covered solidly in flowers in so many gardens.

These celandines are the precursers of a mass of yellow. They are a dreadful weed here. They spread like a plague and throttle anything that is not man enough to get above them. Some people think they are special, as they cannot grow them!