The Legend of Sabrina

Its ABC Wednesday http://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.com/
and S is for Sabrina - goddess of the River Severn. The River Severn has its source in Wales and flows through Shropshire - Worcestershire - Gloucestershire and finally flows into the Bristol Channel and to the sea.

Legend tells us that high in the hills of Wales lived five sisters they were the water nymphs of Plynlimon. One day they all agreed to visit their father the ocean.

The five sisters were called Sabrina (Severn) Vaga (Wye)and Rhydiol - Llyfriant and Mynac. Each sister took a different route to the sea - forming the rivers of today.

Today I went into Shrewsbury to gaze upon the statue of Sabrina in the Dingle - and read the prose beneath the statue ( click on the pic to read the text.



The dingle was quiet today and the 8ft high heron sculpture gazed down on a visiting heron feeding in the lake, but then the bird flew off away up into the trees.



A statue of the goddess Sabrina can also be found in a grotto at Croome Park which we visited recently - she peacefully gazes out over the lake



Sabrina Fair
Listen wherethou art sitting
Under the glassie, cool,translucent wave
In twisted brands of lilies knitting
the loose train of thy amber - dropping hair
Listen for dear Honours sake
goddess of the silver lake
Listen and save

My Sunday

Today has been good, weather has been sunny but sooo windy here , first port of call was a stroll round the local car boot , B looking for old tools and plants and me for old books , garden ornaments - that type of thing, I found another vase - to add to my collection !! (see pic) well I like it !!





Next onto Plimhill a brisk walk up the lane and into the woods , the rhododendrons were out in bloom , purple and pinks, stretching right up to the top of the ridge, halfway round we could not resist some tree hugging - this practise is supposedly good for humans - it certainly felt good to me - and B.


Back home in the greenhouse my zygo cactus has opened its first bloom - and the easter cactus is now flowering too - better late than never!- and the pelargoniums are beginning to flower.









Today I have set some Butternut Squash seeds , and checking the propagator I found that my Purple Podded Peas bought at the Malvern Show have come through - these are an experiment - the seeds were sold to me by a very interesting lady called Delma - she had this stall packed tightly with every seed you could imagine - she was sat on a chair wearing a straw hat covered in flowers and my didn't she know her stuff - and also what a saleswoman !! - before I knew where I was - I had purchased the purple podded peas at no less than £5 a packet and confirmed that I would probably buy a miniature damson tree later in the year that had been named after Delma herself.

Well enough of the rambling thoughts - so its a goodnight from me !!

A walk in Shropshire

A walk through the woods in Shropshire - enjoy - I did - apologies for the boot scrunching noises - but I think the birdsong makes up for that!

R is for Rosa

R is for Rosa Purple Gallico an old shrub rose seen this last weekend at Croome Park in Worcestershire. This is my contribution to ABC Wednesday http://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.com/
The colour of the rose was so intense and the perfume wonderful

The Park is now being restored by the National Trust - we called by on our way back from a stay over in Malvern after a visit to the Spring Flower Show.




The parkland was ploughed up during the war to grow crops - now animals have been grazed on it since and wild flower seeds sown to bring it back to its former glory

The coltsfoot are now in flower and the ox eye daisy - the park is again a blaze of colour


The River Croome flows through the park and a lake borders the endless shrubberies and walkways.



The island at the centre of the lake is home to swans - canadian geese - coots and ducks


The coots were swiming round crazily - diving down continuously - coming up with bits and pieces and feeding the babies


These babies certainly have a whole lotta growing to do - to get big feet like mum and dad !!


We wandered the pathways and woodlands and then made our way back to the restaurant which was originally an old RAF building housing a hospital for the nearby RAF base

As always the National Trust provided home cooking at its best and we sampled Quiche and Bread and Butter Pudding.

So there you have it ROGER and out!!

Who Lives Here?

It is Shadow Shot Sunday across at http://heyharriet.blogspot.com/and I ask this question - who lives here? - well actually now it belongs to the National Trust but for 160 years it belonged to the Berwick family - who lived life to the full.

Now I walk there quite often in the woods and the parkland.

The shadow shot of the pillars and sloping roof was caught on arrival - I parked up to take the shot of the chestnut trees and then saw the bigger picture.



That day I walked around the pathways towards the front of the house too and caught the railings on the front door steps casting their intricate shadows.

Q is for Quiet Times

Along at ABC Wednesday http://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.com/ Q is for quiet places - a time for peace and reflection -St Govans' Chapel Pembroke. St Govan was of irish descent, tradition says he was pursued by pirates to the cliff edge where the chapel now stands, a cleft in the rockopened for Govan to hide in, closing again until the pirates left.



St Govan remained in this area for the rest of his life, worshipping, preaching and teaching until his death in 586.

We visited the chapel while on a walk across National Trust land at Stackpole Head a brilliant stretch of coastline , although access to the chapel is limited to certain times , this stretch of coastline is part of the MOD firing range!




Bosherton Lily Ponds are close by - with many pathways to be explored , leading down into the sand dunes - the waters in the pools are crystal clear - you could see the water lilies starting growth - soon to be wall to wall colour across the lakes.




We walked in Bosherston Woods amongst the wild garlic and then dropped into the local pub at Bosherton Village and sampled blue cheese and wild garlic soup - very tasty with large chunks of home baked bread.

Apparently so we were told by the chef - the leaves of the wild garlic are used not the root and the leaves can be chopped and added to a salad - so there we are culinary tip of the day !!-

Train Shadows

My shadow shot for http://heyharriet.blogspot.com/this week is of the steamer on the West Highland Railway a few weeks back - taken while we were on holiday on Anglesey - Wales



Theses shots were taken as the train negotiated bends on the track. The train runs from Caernarvon to Portmadoc - our youngest grandson who is 8 is well into trains and has his own 'railway shed ' back home - he had a great day and so did we!



The scenery was spectacular - and we were so lucky to have a clear day - no low lying clouds today.




We stayed at Benllech on Anglesey - the pictures above and below show the beach of white sands - we sat and gazed out while the boys investigated the rock pools

The beach scene kept changing with the movement of people - like the little stick people in a Lowry painting

P is for Potting Shed

Hey it is ABC Wednesday http://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.com/ and P is for Potting Shed tucked away in a corner of the walled garden at Croft Castle in Herefordshire.

What tales to tell lie behind that blue door - look at the pots stacked tidely on the window ledge - this little shed would have been a buzz of activity in days gone by



D H Laurence romances in his controversial read Lady Chatterley about the notorious going ons in the potting shed. I could't resist trying the door but it was locked!!

Oh just for the record a quick shot of another potting shed at Attingham Park another stately home with a colourful past - a little austere don't you think!-
hope this a passing phase and that I am not getting a fettish for potting sheds