Monday 17 May 2010

Ne'r cast a cloot 'til May is oot!

Well my safari-ing friends the May in question is nearly oot! Not the month of May but May blossom (which technically should appear in the month of May otherwise it would be called April or June blossom wouldn't it!). Yes it's the blossom of the Hawthorn tree and once it's out we can shed our wiinter clobber, looks like tomorrow then, after today's sunshine...19C here for a moment or two this arvo ...gorgeous but that wind is still a bit too nippy for my liking.While we're on the subject of May...plant again not month...have you ever been gathering nuts in May? No, of course not because nuts are an autumn thing...it should be gathering knots of May, which can be seen above, the almost open flower buds of the Hawthorn which when brought indoors will smell very pleasant and freshen up the home after the long dank days of winter. So know you know - you can all strip off and smell sweetly of pretty things for a couple of months at least.
Some local doughbrains have been doing a bit too much stripping - this time bark from one of the trees in the park. The Coal Tit was singing from this row of conifers. The little sh*ts have started on the one behind the damaged one as well - really hope they haven't been back and finished the job. The tree in the foreground is completely stripped and will have to be felled.Further round our Patch 1 walk we came across this small sapling that has been twisted to destruction - maybe someone should do that to the culprits necks and see how they like it. It was a Whitebeam.
Not too far away from that sickening sight is a burnt out Meadow Ant's nest - our little firebugs wouldn't have known about the ants all they all have seen is a pile of dry vegetation to set alight. Sick in the head the lot of them.
Did we get any wildlife amongst all this carnage? The two Blackcaps are still singing away as is the Chiffchaff. Better though was the addition of a second Whitethroat, but has the Lesser Whitethroat moved on? Not heard it for a few days now.

Just had a set of rock sliders added to the Land Rover - a bit horses bolting and stable doors really - as there are some serious scratches on the paintwork on the other side...

Not quite down to the metal but a doubt if they'll T-cut out.
Good to see a bit of mud on the old girl at last - now we need to get the hosepipe out!
Where to next? Could be Zilch Alley early doors rather than Patch 1 tomorrow - see how lively we feel at 06.00. We need another year tick...it's been a while now! wifey's birthday tomorrow so a picnic in the woods along the river could be on the cards if the weather is like today's and the chance of a...and or a...
In the meantime let us know what's been scratching around in your outback.

3 comments:

Warren Baker said...

I thought I had some mindless twats on my patch Dave, but you have more to contend with there mate....tossers!

Monika said...

Geez, you're coming up with more and more of that terrible carnage. I feel lucky I haven't seen anything like that around here!

cliff said...

"it should be gathering knots of May" very interesting Dave, that's a saying I've only ever heard used incorrectly & had never given thought to the fact it makes no sense, I can't wait now to hear someone getting it wrong so I can correct them.

As for the tree vandals (how did I know there was tree of them), I'd call them scum but I note a Magistrate has just been suspended for referring to some lowlife little ***** by that term, what are we coming to, we have some serious social problems, time to start chopping hands off I think.

Cliff