sun-dappled

The weather here of late is a real all-sorts of sunshine, cold winds, even colder mornings and evenings and overcast days. So when we get a rare treat of sunshine, everyone is out and about! The small park next to my house is full of children playing, families playing football, gossipping or even sitting around the picnic tables with their lunches.
And then there's me walking through it to take a plate of freshly  baked cookies to a new neighbour who moved in!

I been going for regular walks to make the most of this longer, brighter days and recently took a long walk by a river, a place where I often frequent but very rarely pay attention. With a few hours free one afternoon, I took a walk and decided to walk as far as i can go and really look around me to see what was there...

Like the tiny wild violets poking their heads out the banks to enjoy the dappled sun rays through the trees overhead....

Sitting on the cool grass in the shadow for the ruins of what was rumoured to be an old bear-baiting house that was then turned into a garden 19th Century feature....

discovering a wonderful walk way that runs like a seam that separates the river from some flat lands where rare birds breed. It looks so beautiful and reminds me of something out of the film "Sprited Away"...you could almost see Sen running along here to catch the spirit bus....

And the rare and short-lived nature's spectacle that is the bluebell woods that so many locals strive to see but get so little luck achieving it!!

The hubby been playing with recipes and on the day we ran out of bread, he made up some flat bread (or pan bread if you like!) and topped with cheese...so very nice! Think we found a good back-up recipe for hard times! (Which is all the time these days!)

And here's my bargain of the week!
I love Jamie Oliver's cookbooks and reading them and watching Jamie on TV have changed my attitude to cooking and prepping food. So I been wanting this 15 minute meals book for a while but not at the £26 price tag!
I waited for sales and checked to see if it was included but it never was until one day I took a random bumble into Waterstones and looked over the damaged and reduced stock with half a eye and found this beauty!
Its damaged on the lower left corner on the dust jacket...which is hardly nothing! and for under a fiver - mine!

Happy days!


How is everyone?

Birdie Love
xxx