SPRING IS SPRUNG

The first lamb can be a good indicator of spring, but the first foal is my "sure thing" for spring. This photo is a bit blurry because the foal was wary and although another member of the family followed us on our walk, hoping for more carrots, the baby stayed safely back. We were walking with the Durham Guided Walks group and this little cob came as far as it could and managed to get about four carrots from DJ.

We haven't walked much lately. It's not easy to walk whilst wearing glasses, in the rain, but the fine weather got us on track again. A lovely walk around the riverside in Durham on Saturday was followed by this trek along old railway lines on Sunday. In fact, part of it was along the first passenger railway line in the world. Before steam engines, ponies hauled the coal and mineral-ore wagons along these early lines.

Coal mines were very plentiful in the area around us. Here is a major subsidence on the "right of way" near our Sunday walk, which has recently appeared. There was a coal mine just up the hill from this point and this "sink" is probably over an underground tunnel. There was also evidence of an underground fire shown as blackened soot layers in the red clay.

Today was such gorgeous weather that the Botanic Gardens in Durham beckoned. It was a tad early for the daffodils and azaleas but we shall return in a couple of weeks. The ponds were full of frogs and spawn. The trees and bushes were at bud burst and the sun shone quite warmly on us as we ate our lunch outside.

Tom cats are around. Tigger is in bushy tail mode to make herself look more alarming to any unwanted visitor as she heads for the door.

She is getting a new cat flap in a couple of weeks. The building is on schedule and the weather continues to be kind to us.

Cheers Gillian