+++ Whoops! Here comes the cheese! +++

Cherryfudge

That sounds so lovely: already I can visualise it in a few years with a spread of snowdrops every February and a froth of white blossom followed by splendid red-orange berries. What a wonderful way to remember Mr Redo.

jwil

That sounds lovely xx

rtandon27

Aww Redo - so lovely to hear about your tree planting day.  I can just picture all the small birds feasting on the berries.  Hope the day brought you lovely memories of your time together. xxx

Greying_Pilgrim

redo - the tree and planned snowdrop planting sounds just perfect. 

The various stages a rowan goes through each year reminds me of a Julia Donaldson story about 'Apollo the Swallow', who misses the changing of the rowan tree to bear red berries due to his annual migration to Africa.  

There is also a very well known Scottish folk song about the Rowan Tree, which includes a verse about remembrance of loved ones no longer with us.  

So good that the sapling is sturdy, it'll be reaching up to touch those stars that shine, in no time. 

GNU MrRedo.

X

redofromstart

Thank you everyone.  The plan will be (in time) to take cuttings from the tree.  

Lots of hungry birds this morning, and one of the male blackbirds pointing out that there was no ground food.  Normal service has resumed.  Pleased to see a Bullfinch as well as my usual collection of goldfinches, with the odd greenfinch tagging along. The noise and movement they bring to the garden is just lovely.  The robin is watching me from the dry stone wall where I have sprinkled a handful of mealworms.

Watty1

Just caught up, love the tree and the snowdrops.  Sending love

Baldybear

Love the tree and slate idea, that quote sounds like one from my favourite songs by stratovarius that i have chosen for my time to go xx

KajiKita

The tree and the snowdrops will be poignantly beautiful 😊🤩❤️

Glad the birds are bringing you joy. I’ve always thought of blackbirds being quite shy, but the one here is quite bossy - I think think he’s been taking lesions from the robin! 😉😂

KK

Sallyforth

You have green finches how delightful. We get every manner of birds on our little suburban table but never seen a green finch to date. We have masses of goldfinches around yet they never feed at the table strangely. Mostly sparrows, tits, blackbirds, a pair of turtle doves who are becoming quite tame, bossy magpies and wood pigeons and my pet robin!

redofromstart

Thank you Watty
Hi Baldybear, it is a line from a 1930s poem 'Do not stand at my grave and weep'.  When I was trying to decide what to choose for the service I found a screenshot of it on his phone. 
KK yes the blackbirds seem to be quite forceful, more character than you expect
Sallyforth lots of finches here - we have Nyjer and sunflower heart feeders which seem very popular with them.  I hadn't seen a green finch until last year and now we have a few that come, noticeably much bigger than the gold ones.  There is a flock of siskins too, they came many times a day last year but this year I can hear them but they haven't visited.

Bit of a cold wet weekend, so I haven't done much other than lit the fire, read books, had another go at crochet, and tried to eat properly.  This 'doing' inevitably involves looking at plants.  I did buy lots more bulbs (pinks and whites and blues)  in MrS on Saturday morning.  I picked up my 'free' birthday month grapes in M&S and resisted on offer beauty boxes and half price loccitan stuff.

I also went through some more clothes, exited some things and noted down what I actually need to replace.