Monday 19 March 2018

The Twelfth Annual Cowslip Photo

Every year about this time we post a picture of a cowslip. It used to be the first cowslip of the year, where we would excitedly stop the car and back track to take a photo (they are roadside specialists), but more recently they have been the first photos we have been able to take in safety. Age/wisdom I guess...


One reason we post a cowslip photo every year is because it means spring is here or hereabouts. This year it's definitely hereabouts, as we are expecting frosts and fog and maybe even a sprinkle of snow.

There is, however, another reason. In 1981 I travelled to the UK with my Mum, and she had me driving all over East Anglia looking for cowslips, her favorite childhood wildflower. We saw one in the six weeks we were there, and the farmers all said it looked like they were on their way out. You can imagine my surprise when we arrived in France to see cowslips in profusion. Mum is no longer able to travel, but this pic is for her.

5 comments:

chm said...

How nice of you. I'm sure your mother will enjoy it.

I had never seen a cowslip, coucou in French, here in the U.S. until I spotted one in a yard on an adjacent street here in Arlington. I had to look at it twice to make sure it was a real one, not wild nfortunaely! Lovely.

chm said...

Contrary to what my deleted comment said, it is the case of a missing U and a missing T. What I meant was unfortunately, and it wasn't plastic either. I should pay more attention to what I write and what I do! I'm getting old :—)

Colin and Elizabeth said...

No sign of ours coming up yet.

roddygoesclick said...

Blizzards here last night in the CH Maritime, Susan. Dangerous for driving, horrible for all our insects and plants that thought it was spring too. I even put the Egyptian locust I found two days ago roosting in the olive tree in the garage for the night. He seemed quite content this morning to be put back in the olive tree in some sunlight. Bizarre weather....

Plenty of cowslips here, too.

Susan said...

We had an afternoon of snow flurries too. Luckily they stopped by the time we were bringing Célestine home from Amboise (she's been at the auto-electricians) but we had to drive up in the snow in the modern.

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