Spring Sprung

The trees are bearing boughs of blossom, chicks are chirruping outside my window, and I have been experiencing a flowering or rebirth of interest in things stitchy. I went through something of a creative dry spell, and it was difficult to keep up a craft blog while I wasn't making anything to post about. There's nothing like a real, pressing need to do some work on my PhD to  make me engage in a variety of displacement activities, from knitting, to running, to putting together outlandish outfits, to emptying my penny jar (it contained £1.58). 

The weather was truly glorious today, so I dug out some crumpled summer clothes and took myself off on a promenade to soak up the Cambridge. I found my sandal-ed feet inexorably drawn to this fine fabric shop, where I managed to resist the temptation to buy, but did daydreams about handmade sun-dresses. I'd dearly love finally to befriend my sewing machine... perhaps this will be the summer of sewing.

Magnolia Blossom

Inspired by this clutch of beautiful ttv photos by Alli, I thought I'd share a little springtime loveliness of my own.

These are of a magnolia tree in the Botanical Gardens in Edinburgh, which is currently in exuberant blossom. My friend informs me of an eighty year old lady who calls blossom 'flourishes'; I think I might refer to it as such from now on.

Joys of Spring: Part II

Today I spotted a new brood of ducklings. The dark shadow under their mother is one of the monster catfish that prowl about the pond; just after I took this a swarm of them circled menacingly round these little three. From a duckling's perspective, a catfish must be like Moby Dick.

I also finally managed to get a shot of a baby moorhen. Sometimes I think I love these even more than ducklings. They are ridiculous little balls of black fluff with spindly, Roadrunner legs.

Look at him go!

Of course, for some people, Spring is all about celebrating Elvis's film career, and crocs.