Sylviam4000

You will be sad to know that Sylvia Boiling passed away in April. She wrote a most wonderful journal on AOL called Ye Olde English Posy, I used to look forward to her entries. A lot of people will miss this wonderful lady.

Covered Bridges

Not entirely to do with nature, but part of the landscape of many places. However, in England, apart from 3 that exist at Oxford and Cambridge, which are covered in the sense that they are bridges connecting 2 buildings, there is only one that I know about. Even that bridge is ornamental, in that it lies withinn a park, and has never been used for road traffic. It is the Swiss Bridge at Birkenhead Park on the Wirral peninsula.

I have been told that this kind of bridge was quite common in the UK in bygone times. I think they are so romantic and picturesque and its a pity we dont have them anymore. I know that in USA and Canada, also in other parts of Europe they still exist.

Pics of Rowley

Here are some photos of the places we saw last sunday.

Todays walk

Seeing it was such a lovely sunny autumn day with temperatures up in the low 60's, Bill and me decided we would make the most of it. We began on the straight mile, a section of the Leeds and Liverpool canal that cuts across the centre of Burnley, meeting lots of cyclists and ramblers along the way. When we came to Thompsons Park we then branched off along the Burnley Way along to Heasandford. There the River Brun, from which Burnley gets its name, flows past allotments full of poultry and greenhouses. At one point I noticed a bird perched on a large stone in the river. I realised at once it was not a mallard as its head was brown and it had a pointy tail. It was a pintail duck, not normally seen in these parts, but present in the winter months in small numbers. That was a first sighting for me. One tree had a flock of coal tits in its branches, wonder why they favoured that particular tree? The brambles seem to have now lost their fruit, just the odd one still lingering, not very juicy either.
Approaching Netherwood Farm we were passed by a few horses, there riders also enjoying the warm day. From there we went on the track to Rowley Lake, a man made lake that was made in the late 60's by damning the stream. To me its now unrecognisable from the same place when I was a teenager. Then there were no trees, plus the stream is now a series of cataracts, instead of the gentle meanderings of yesteryear. Now, the Forest of Burnley planted thousands of trees which are now grown and hide the surrounding scenery. Its very beautiful and peaceful. Met on elderly man in one of those motorised wheelchairs, he has lived in Burnley all his life, yet this was the first time he had been on that path, and he was really impressed. Finally we reached Rowley Farm and Hall, where my old friends Tim and Susan lived when we were kids. They used to keep a pet bull which used to hang over a gate and bellow at you if you didnt tickle its head. Passing the Hall to our left was Rowley Lake. We took the left hand path and ambled slowly round. Across the other side were a flock of white geese, several families picnicing, and anglers languidly casting their rods. The cry of a moorhen drifted over the water, though we didnt see it. At the far end of the lake we took a direct path and came out near the Thornton Arms pub on Brownside Road. By then both of us were hungry and thirsty so we made a beeline for the Spar shop at Pike hill. Bought sandwiches and juice then sat on a wall to replenish ourselves.
Walked home down Brunshaw Hill, Fulledge, Towneley Holmes, then up through Burnley Wood and finally home. Bill was tired, poor love, he cant stand the pace!!!! Said his shins were hurting him. I sat outside with a cuppa tea until the sun sank below the houses opposite. Twas a very good peaceful kind of day.

Me with a group of folk on a walk last year.

YEAH!!!!!!!

At long last I have found a way of importing my old journal to a new one.

Log Journals

I reckon it SUCKS that AOL is getting shut of log journals!!!!!!

Bees

Yesterday, saw my first bee of the year, an enormous brown and orange striped one, not sure which variety, but was one of the largest I have ever seen. It was on the pavement of a main road so I bent down to pick it up with the intention of moving it to a garden area. Unfortunately, when I did so, I found out it was dead, stepped on by someone.I just hope that it was an accidental killing of such a beautiful insect. I love bees, they are so interesting and industrious, People are scared of them but they just go about their business oblivious really to us humans. In summer my lavender bush is throng with so many varieties of bees and I will sit there in my little camping chair right next to them all. Even when fruit picking I will be right next up to them, feel them touching my bare arms, and never once have I been stung. Wasps, however, are a different story!!!!

A few weeks ago I mentioned a caterpillar which was on a geranium leaf, about to turn into a chrysallis. Well, it ate the leaf which then dropped off into the pot, wrapped around the budding chrysallis. Now, it seems its vanished from sight!!!

The earthquake was quite good I thought, in that my daughter rushed upstairs asking " Mummy, is it the end of the world". How dramatic can you get I wonder? All that happened was doors rattled, bottles jangled in the bathroom, where I was at the time, and the floor moved a bit. At work the next day, a girl thought it was a poltergeist, or God even, shaking her bed. I told her God is way too old for tricks like that!!! The worst quake I once felt was in Tunisia, then I though the hotel would colapse. At least I am thankful nobody was killed, and I an truly sorry for folks who's houses had damage done to them, for I bet they have a hard job getting insurance payouts.

Tonight we are having gale force winds, but at least the rain has settled a bit. was soaked to the skin coming home from work this lunchtime. Tomorrow is March 1st, and they say if March comes in like a lion it will go out like a lamb. BAAAAAAAAAAA.

 

Starlings

My lovely starling family have been back over a week now. The first I knew about it was when I glanced up at the troughing and saw straw protruding, at first I though it was some old dead grass which the wind had dislodged, then out from the eaves flew a bird which landed on the roof opposite. Sure enough it was a starling. Would love to know where they go to in winter, North Africa, the south of France?

Last sunday being sunny and warm in the sun, me and Bill took an afternoons walk along the canal bank. In parts it was quite frozen, so we fed bread to the ducks en route. Having reached a modern housing estate, we left the tow path and walked down an avenue towards the river, noticed dandelions growing in profusion in one place. At the river several horse riders were exercising their beasts and a dog decided to have a swim. rather the dog than me!!!! We then joined the Burnley way to get to another district, should have crossed a field but we would have been above our ankles in water, so instead walked round by the road. Eventually we got back to the river again at a place which in the olden days had stepping stones across it. Nowadays there is a wooden bridge, much safer by far, but the old photos are more picturesque. It is a beautiful rural setting, so peaceful, and the mistiness only added the the ambience. My grandma told me how her grandfather had found arrow heads there in his youth, and it was rumoured that this was the place where the Battle of Brunanberg took place. Whether this is the place we will probably never know, but its hard to picture men killing one another in such lovely surroundings. From there we walked along to Padiham, was hoping I might see pheasants but didnt. However, I saw several from the train last week at a place near to Blackburn. Could see Gawthorpe Hall across the river, shrouded in mist like something from a gothic horror film. The hall is a National Trust property, but as yet I have never been in it. Once had a job interview for there, needless to say I was unsuccessful!!! Having finally reached Padiham, nether of us fancied a 4 mile walk home along a main road, fortunately a bus arrived after about 5 minutes.

The last lunar eclipse to be seen here for about 8 years was a non event, too much cloud cover, so saw nothing. NOT FAIR!!!!!!!!!!

Spring

In December a garden at the bottom of our street was in full bloom with daffodils, something i have never seen before. My daffs were in leaf but no sign of buds. However, this week I observed in my bedroom a geranium plant which I had taken in for the winter, on one of its leafs was a caterpillar. Today the leaf has over folded itself over the caterpillar which is now becomming a chrysallis. Can anyone tell me how long it will take before it becomes a butterfly? I dont wish the butterfly to emerge within the house as one of my cats will surely eat it.

Also, at the bottom of the hill a plum tree which is normally in bloom in late feb/march, is now in full flower. In 11 years of living here, this is the earliest recording. My daffs are now in bud, so are my crocuses, my snowdrops are actually flowering. My anemones are sending up plenty of leaves also.