The colour purple

Question: When is a violet not a violet?

Wild Violet

Answer: When it's not purple of course!

Wild 'White' Violet

There are a whole bunch of these rather lovely white violet plants growing in my local wood. I think they are properly called viola blanda; I could well be wrong about that. There are so many of them I've heard other walkers refer to them as wood anemones, but anemones they certainly aren't because this is a wood anemone:

Wood Anemone

A very different plant, especially when seen growing in abundance.

Wood Anemones

I admit I'm not very astute when it comes to identifying plant life and tend to forgive other peoples' mistakes since I appreciate I make so many myself. That said I'm continually surprised when I hear people refer to celandine as buttercup or these little chaps (grape hyacinths) as bluebells:

Grape Hyacinth

Happy Equinox!

The 2017 Spring Equinox happened at 10:28 in the northern hemisphere this morning and to celebrate I thought I'd post a few spring flowers...

St Mary's, Undy

These wonderful daffodils grace the entrance-way to my local church. Suitable blooms to celebrate the equinox I thought.

Not a happy bunny

I'm currently waiting to have orthopaedic surgery on my hands to help counteract the effects of osteoarthritis. The procedure is known as trapeziectomy, where a small bone is removed from the wrist at the base of the thumb. I have the issue in both hands and find difficulty in gripping/holding anything between thumb and fingers. Even doing up buttons or tying shoe laces and using a knife and fork is painful and frankly my quality of life is suffering since I am no longer able to do many of things I enjoy like cycling, playing guitar and taking photographs.

In December last year I attended a pre-admission appointment to ensure I was a suitable candidate for anaesthesia. During the appointment I asked when the first surgery was likely to take place and I was told usually within 3 months. Given we are now in mid-March I rang the appointments secretary to query why I hadn't heard anything since my pre-admission appointment. It transpires I probably won't be seen now until July at the earliest, which means I will not get surgery on both hands this year (they only fix one hand at a time and the expected recovery between surgeries is as least 6 months).

Medically speaking I appreciate there are a lot of people worse off than me, but nevertheless this delay in what is a relatively simple procedure, which would make a considerable difference to me is bloody frustrating.

Escape from captivity

Don't you just love it when domesticated plants 'escape' the boundaries of the formal garden and flourish in the wild? I certainly do.

Miniature Daffodils and Purple Crocus

These miniature daffodils surrounding the single purple crocus are thriving in a nettle bed beside a hedgerow. I suspect it will only be a matter of days before the quick growing nettles completely swamp the interlopers, but you can bet the daffs and crocus will be back again next spring.

Have I missed something?

I appreciate there are those who just love the whole Christmas thing, even Roy Wood (you remember that hairy rocker from the 60's?) sang I wish it could be Christmas everyday, but sticking decorations up in March is just wrong if you ask me.

Bah! Humbug!

Also, unless I've missed something and Christmas trees have changed dramatically, this ain't no fir!

Definitely NOT a Christmas tree!