As they seem so popular here's another arrival I discovered a couple of days ago, and they are the same on the other side but had other things in front so took them separately in the other direction.

Jinx looking very serious about it all

I noticed that in the sun this morning the first of my big poppies was starting to open. They're loaded with buds so should make a nice splash of colour over the next few days.

A typical country pub, The Boot at Chipperfield

grass

Your grass is the wrong colour, copago! Shouldn't it be green?

Satguru, your roadsign up above brought to mind All Creatures Great and Small, with Siegrfried & Tristan Farnham & all their exploits in the Yorkshire Dales! I must dig out my paperbacks and flick through them again, they always bring a smile!

Although the signs were changed officially when I was 4, it took ages for them to gradually swap them over (there were many millions) so pretty much defined my childhood. Had it occurred to me earlier I could have got ten times as many as I have now, but despite going digital in 2005 was a couple of years before I found my first one and once you notice one you keep going. I've got every known one now in about three counties and these and one last week turned up since to keep me going. And half the ones I took are gone now so many would never be recorded had I not taken them.

Another country pub in Chipperfield

I can see how Precious got her name! Too adorable.

we'll take grass of any colour , Santana

A fly close up ..

My Mother's Day gifts . Nice to be appreciated!

Ooh, very nice ren.

Very tangible appreciation, that!

Gees63, that was so pretty, with the butterfly just like an extension of the flowers. You inspired me to try -- first photo of a butterfly I've ever managed - but you have to look to find it.

A field near Braintree

Foxgloves. I love these, in particular I love watching the bees go into them and come out covered in pollen.

Fantastic. Yes I love all those English Cottage garden flowers. I get so nostalgic.

A swan in the Ornamental Lake, Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne. The 'green' in the water is duckweed, not algae. The swan was totally unconcerned by my presence in the water nearby and come up to investigate.

Beautiful pic, Micke. They are a lovely bird.

I can't see the butterfly, Chav .. do we get a hint??

Nice pressie, Ren! I got a drawing and a couple of rocks ...

Having just made my second blog attempt (abbreviated) to describe Tuesday's journey through hell (the computer blew up while writing it) I've used the static road to make some recordings of it. This is the A12, a major road which has never been busy all my life which was gridlocked like this for 10 miles. This is just before you get to Brentwood going under the M25. I use the bridges to make sure I can work out where they'd been taken.

My new planter made out of a 250 year old tree (from the stump area). The tree died of about 10 years ago. My husband cut it down so no dead branches would fall on the kids.
It has been out in the edge of the field ever since. I told my husband I wanted a fallen tree to make a planter out of it. Well on Mother's Day he showed me my new planter. He carved out the center and placed dirt in it. Now planted and ready to grow!




Ren: I LOVE your Mother's Day present too!

Chavs: I need a hint too!

Christine: I love the foxglove! Always a favorite.

Mike: The duckweed surrounding the black swan just sets it off. Beautiful!

Wow, that swan!


Hint for the butterfly: it's on the right-hand side. Our right.

The Flame of the Forest tree opposite our house makes me gasp every year

Jiminy Cricket! That's a wonderful capture Mother Goose!

Mike: love the one of Twiggy. You can almost see her nose "twitching" in that pic.

David: Your one of Seale Church is now officially my favourite of yours. "Artist's eye" and all. You seriously should get that one enlarged, printed and framed : )

Copago: Super fly! Looks like a jewel made of polished pewter!

Christina: here's your butterfly : ) ... (enjoyed the "puzzle" - thanks!)

(My butterfly). Well done, Jake.

Christina is busy taking more poppy pictures - I believe a promise of such was implied.

It was indeed, but as yet none of the others are out. Couple are starting to split I noticed today so sometime in the next couple of days more poppy pictures will appear.

We've got a tropical butterfly gardens near us, so while we're waiting for the poppies to open, here's a butterfly instead.

This is the flavour of the month (since around 1990) for new house designs. This old village was built in Great Notley in Essex in 1999.

sorry Chavs, I've been confused about a LOT of things lately, sigh.

Precious, caught in the act of sharpening her non-existant front claws on some postcard albums. Doesn't the look just say "Who me?"

Liz, there's almost an apologetic look on Precious' face - of course that means 'sorry I've been caught', not 'sorry I've been naughty'! Love this photo and the recent contributions to our entomology collection!