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Peeping out timidly from beneath the layer of rotting leaves appear the delicate faces of pale yellow primroses. The tall stems of the cowslip push their way through the protective bed of leaves to rise majestically above the mound of green. Forsythia bursting into a beacon of yellow stars as its flowers open all at once it seems and yellow is everywhere. Yellow, the colour of friendship, happiness and sunshine and there hangs in the air a promise of the halcyon days of Summer to come.

I cycle lazily through the village lanes and decide to stop by the banks of the river Test. I leave my bike and walk a while, drawn to follow the flow of the river and as I walk a pair of ducks paddle beside me curious of my intrusion. There is movement ahead and a swan appears gliding gracefully out from amongst the rushes as if leading the parade. And on the other side of the bank stands the stately silhouette of a Heron, perfectly still, waiting.

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I see the tiny purple flowers of Self Heal nestling in the spongy grass and the swollen pregnant like belly of the white dead nettle. Next to them forcing their way upward are the upturned umbrella like leaves of cleavers, ‘sticky willy’ as it is traditionally known. Well named indeed, as I remember the times I walked to school as a young girl, collecting my friends along the way and by the time we arrived in the playground giggling heartily, our jumpers were covered in the dangly stems.
 
Everything smells so fresh and clean and there is a sweetness in the air. I am stopped in my tracks by a fallen cloud of Blackthorn blossom and stare at its ethereal beauty, its captivating presence luring you forward to come closer until a sudden sharp stab from one of its hidden thorns sends you reeling backward. I turn the corner and am greeted by candy floss tufts of pink Cherry Blossom and it makes me think how much like a giant marshmallow these two bushes are standing side by side, how sweet is Nature.

I return home to find a blue tit busy building a mud door across a hole in the trunk of one of the apple trees. As I silently watch his valiant efforts I am reminded of the messages from Nature at this time of year. Messages of fertility, creation, new life, new beginnings, hope, the sowing of seeds, new ideas, a time for making new plans. My thoughts are interrupted only by the joyous sight of rabbits playing in the paddock, their fluffy white tails bobbing up and down amidst the lengthening grass. Further up the field a gathering of ewes watch proudly over their newborn lambs as they skip and jump oblivious to the pride and joy their presence bestows upon so many.

 

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I peer into the wildlife pond and find it teeming with tadpoles, their funny little tails propelling them along in and out of the weed in such a jagged fashion.

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And as I turn to go indoors a Bumble Bee takes a low and lazy flight path before me along the edge of the fence and into the bushes humming gently to itself and as I step into my kitchen, I find myself smiling.

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Blessed Be


 

 

 


April is the last month of the year's walk through Hampshire. I want to thank everyone who has shared, liked or has taken the trouble to comment about the writing and illustrations. It has been a pleasure to draw these animals and Lady May and myself can only hope that you have enjoyed this blog as much as we have in writing and drawing for it.

If you have enjoyed the illustrations from this blog, please be aware that you can now buy prints and cards via our online shop here.

A Kindle Edition of Blessed Be is now available to buy or loan.

Blessed Be has been fully formatted for your Kindle and includes full colour illustrations from this blog along with an additional set of remedies and recipes for each month.

Please follow this link to buy or borrow Blessed Be for your Kindle.

For more information about this writer – please contact sarah@sarahnet.com
or visit us at www.sarahnet.co.uk. © 2014 sarahNet Ltd