Beauty in a Sometimes Difficult World

Dicentra, 'bleeding heart' battered by the wind and rain but still strong

What a strange world we live in?  Discuss (don't - you'd never have enough time left in the day to do other things).

On a much lighter note, the weather seems to have turned into a wintry spell for a short time with just 6 degrees on the clock this morning on a colleagues car temperature gauge and summer is almost upon us. Blustery rain, low temperatures, hailstones and snow on higher ground belies the fact that spring is almost over and next weekend sees 'flaming' June arrive. 

Everyone is now quoting grandmas and grandads when they say 'Ne'er cast a clout 'til May is out.' In other words, don't take your clothes off until June arrives. Damned good advice if you ask me. First recorded in writing in 1732, 'clout' is a colloquialism for cloth. But then, in May lies the confusion. 

A late tulip - photo taken yesterday - now battered by wind and rain, not so resilient as the bleeding heart (above)

Does May refer to the month or to May blossom - another name for Hawthorn blossom, which normally arrives in April/early May;  anyway, it's original meaning is lost in antiquity, we can all make our own minds up - suffice to say May this year is bloody cold and follows on from weather records which suggest this is the coldest spring for 30 years!

A close up of a piece of moss (about an inch away), dislodged by the birds from the roof, pretty and dense plants grouped together

Last weekend, I never cut the grass because of rain and this last weekend gone was the same but despite it being very wet, I cut it anyway and I filled our recycle bin which doesn't get emptied for another week. The rain has made it look nice and green I have to say the verges and hedges are now looking beautiful and vibrant.

Before and after (the left hand side) an exciting action shot this - hard to capture

I was getting in the car this afternoon at work and just a few feet away, a Magpie was having a good old preen in the tree and never budged an inch even though it knew I was just 20 feet away. I took a quick if  not too brilliant snap:
 

A preening Magpie

Finally, lets have a thought and belief for a peaceful world after the atrocity on the streets of London. Let justice in this democratic place have its course.

Chat soon

Ta-ra