Yesterday was my birthday - 42!! It was a lovely happy day, and thank you to everyone for all the lovely cards and gifts. With it being Easter as well, the house is full of lovely cards. It was a day of glorious sunshine - impossible to feel anything other than happy and hopeful. I attach a photo of a wood anemone that we took up in the woods by Rhydry. The woods are Forestry Commission, and we enjoy walking up there. There are a wide range of flowers, trees and birds to enjoy as well as butterflies. We usually end up stopping to admire something natural. Yesterday we were treated to these wonderful flowers, and also just beginning to bud were some early bluebells. If this sunshine continues they will be in full flower in a week to ten days. We also enjoyed listening to a woodpecker as we walked. It was quiet up there - only saw one other dog walking party, but the walk was marred by discovering two burnt out cars, still smouldering. What was particularly distressing was that the personal possessions of the owners had been strewn around the cars. We picked up a letter and tried to get the phone number of the person but unfortunately they were ex-directory. Notified the police when we returned home. Enjoyed the rest of the day pottering in the garden and enjoying the sunshine. Had a bottle of champagne last night to celebrate - delicious.

Saturday also should have mentioned that my sampler was finished, washed and pressed, so ready for framing. Took it to be framed (pale blue mount, and limed plain frame) on Saturday morning as well as a John Knapp Fisher print. Picture attached.

Today is another beautiful day. We went to the garden centre this morning, along with I think most of the adult population of the country. Picked up some more shebunken for the pond and and a couple of pond plants, including a marginal marsh marigold. We walked Andy this morning over at Park Tredelerch which is right by work. Nice and peaceful as it is mainly frequented by fisherfolk. Enjoyed looking at marsh marigolds in situ on the margin of the pond, a lovely resident heron, lots of coots and moorhens, and further over in one of the rheens, a newt was visible. Andy went absolutely bonkers as the far end of the park is a rabbit paradise, and as it was still fairly early in the morning and so peaceful, lots of the little creatures were hopping about. Andy was literally bouncing with excitement, and uttering frantic squeaks. I wish we could let him off the lead but there are too many roads nearby for that, and a hyper greyhound with rabbits on his mind is not best placed to think about traffic. I am just about to do some ironing, as like the poor, it is always with us.