This unusual cloud formation was captured on 22nd April as the sun began to set, on the eve of St George's Day, Shakespeare's birthday and what would have been Matt's 35th.
The evenings lately have been an absolute
delight.
We have been experiencing some beautiful weather, and already it has been written that this will have been the hottest Easter for 100 years.
And how everyone has so revelled in it!
The smell of barbecues wafting on the air from neighbouring gardens or picnic spots....
The songs of the birds dawn to dusk, and what songs! The gardens are awash with apple and lilac blossom, rowan trees in white, and the next door neighbour's bright yellow laburnum catkins a cheerful sight. Bluebells are now carpeting woods, and have been earlier than last year. Everyone a bit more relaxed, the long, hard, frozen dark winter a distant memory........................whilst the weather holds!!
I am having to water the garden. I got up early and took the second photo from our back upstairs window around 6.45am on the 23rd. Already the promise of a fantastic day's weather to come. Early mist and heavy scents of early summer.
We set off for Stratford upon Avon, the birthplace of the Bard himself, and arrived mid morning. The sun was so warm that we both decamped to buy ourselves a sunhat each! I, having left mine at home, and he having been banned from wearing the battered cricket white hat he bought in Brisbane in 2004, when we were visiting our younger son, who was out there for 10 months. It is his pride and joy but has definately seen better days!!
So after a successful purchase, a more sartorially equipped Timelord looking quite dapper, stepped out once again into the rising heat!
We just enjoyed the sights and sounds of people messing about on the river in boats.Rowing boats, canoes, motor boats, and at one point, a lovely cabin cruiser arrived. I was intrigued
and went to ask the owners, who were fixing it to a mooring, if they could get any further down the river.
They had come from Tewkesbury, setting off the previous day, and mooring overnight along the way.No, they said,
you can't go any further down river at Stratford, and they
would be making a return journey by the same route, eventually reaching the River Severn and going on to Bristol. But as they said, everyone should visit Stratford at some point, and this for them was that time.
All along the river banks people were just sitting enjoying the novelty of a Bank holiday weekend that was living up to expectation of a glorious burst of summer. Ice creams being consumed by the dozens, soft drinks, ice cold beers, cafés and bars looking more like their continental neighbours. It felt very much like being in France to me yesterday. Sitting in a riverside pub garden I could almost imagine myself in the warmth of Provence in late spring. Only instead of lavender fields there are carpets of bluebells. So we lazed away the hours until we made our way home. And it was definately a day that Freelance Nerd would've loved.
