Thursday 3 March 2011

Crocuses, Starlings and Weather

We've been having some nice, bright and sunny days recently and Spring is bursting out everywhere. There are great swathes of crocuses across my city, our council planted them years ago.  I did a work visit today and the large patch of grass outside my client's house was full of thousands of blue and white crocuses, beautiful.  On the way home I noticed starlings starting to roost.  Once home I watched as the groups of birds joined together to form a huge cloud of thousands that swooped, weaved and turned as one. The movement of the flock reminded me of the undulations of the Northern Lights. They came so low as to almost skim the roofs of the houses, I could hear their wings flapping but there was no other sound from the birds.  How do they know which way to turn so suddenly?  Eventually the moved into the distance and settled for the night, but what an amazing show they had put on.

At this time of year nature comes alive again, the buds fatten up, birds sing more, even after the icy winter we had nothing stops the rebirth.  But people seem to come alive again too. The DIY stores are full of enthusiastic folk raring to get decorating or improving their home.  You see more of your neighbours as people re-discover their gardens, tidying away the winter debris, planting bedding plants, sighing at the thought of having to mow the lawn again.

Bright colours, tee-shirts, summer dresses, swimwear and sandals appear in the shops, the winter woolies are in the sales.  Holidays plans are made, I've got a holiday in Canada to look forward to.  Hopes for a hot summer abound, definitely not a guarantee in the UK, "We've had three crap summers, surely we'll have a good one this year!" People say, me included.  Our weather is never boring and we are obsessed with talking about it.

It's a good time of year, almost like coming out of hibernation, and I love the buzz and energy that is always around at this time.  Now, where's that paintbrush.........

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