Category Archives: Environment

Memory Lane, 22nd August 2023: Steady, or it’ll have your leg off!

Posted on June 3, 2024 by james

I’ve never seen one of these before. No idea where this one came from, but an amazing thing to find crawling up your driveway anyhow. As far as I’m aware it’s an Elephant Hawk Moth caterpillar. I wish I’d seem … Continue reading →

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Count the hornets: one, two, three

Posted on May 28, 2024 by james

I don’t know if it’s down to the mild winter or something else entirely, but we seem to have so many queen hornets around at the moment. Whilst I was spreading compost in Frankenstein’s greenhouse I was joined by one, … Continue reading →

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Memory Lane, 16th June 2023: It’s a red deer, dear!

Posted on May 23, 2024 by james

A few candid shots when this one turned up in the field behind our house today. I assume it must have come down off Exmoor looking for food. It’s quite rare to see them here.

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Memory Lane, 21st December 2022: Winter solstice

Posted on April 17, 2024 by james

So what on earth are these dandelions up to?

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Memory Lane, 5th November 2022: What time of year is it again?

Posted on April 3, 2024 by james

Wandering around the garden today, I see dandelions flowering: Blackberries in bud: Nasturtiums (hiding under the leaves) and pot marigolds (calendula) in flower: Clary in flower: And borage, too: Strawberries flowering as well: Lots of flower on the chile plants … Continue reading →

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Is it possible to build an ark out of ply?

Posted on March 28, 2024 by james

Because I think I might need to 😀 Today has been possibly one of the most grim days weatherwise that I can recall here. My wife apparently woke up to blue skies and (unforecast) frost. By the time I’d dragged … Continue reading →

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Memory Lane, 26th October 2022: Zombie caterpillar

Posted on March 24, 2024 by james

I’ve not noticed this before, but it seems to have been a pretty good year for Large White caterpillars and therefore presumably for their predators. I was confused as to what was going on at first, what the little yellow … Continue reading →

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It’s the end of the anemometer as we know it…

Posted on February 27, 2024 by james

We’ve had really quite cold north-easterly winds for the last few days, and fairly strong with it as there’s absolutely nothing at all to provide shelter from that direction. I noticed the anemometer for my weather station was looking a … Continue reading →

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Early celandines

Posted on February 16, 2024 by james

Mid-February feels very early for celandines to be flowering here, but they’re definitely giving it some serious thought. Even the daffodils aren’t out yet, though by the look of the buds they won’t be too long now.

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Storm Eunice damage

Posted on February 21, 2022 by james

Our house is in quite an exposed position being pretty much on the top of a hill with little to shelter it from the wind in any direction, but despite being on the edge of the Met Office’s “red” warning … Continue reading →

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