This time of year seems to be full of rediscovering. Plants pop up that I had forgotten. Spring cleaning leads to lost treasures seeing the light of day again. Insects* appear in the garden and for a few seconds I have to remind myself what they are called.
So it is always fun when I discover something new. Last night, as I put my garden tools away, I found a brown moth on my shed door. I thought it was a leaf. I can imagine in the right setting, its markings would be a perfect camouflage, but on my blue shed door, it stuck out like a sore thumb. I’m on a mission to find out the type of moth.
I discovered a new crochet stitch . It works perfectly for a yoke I’m working on. Unfortunately, the yarn has run out, so I may need to adapt my design a bit. It is so quick that it won’t take long to crochet it up again.
We discovered that when the instructions say that something stops working after 45 mins they might be right. Our test piece of tie dye, using dye 4 years old (not 45 mins) didn’t take as well as it could, but the results were still pleasing. Better than throwing the dye away. Hopefully this weekend we will break open the new dye and set work on our big project.
Biggest discovery this week is that the bats are back. Regular readers will know I love bats, and each year we host a maternity roost in our attic. I’m convinced that they like our chimney which encases the Aga’s flue. Nice and warm. When the babies are born, they fly each night with them hanging onto the mother’s body. When they get bigger, but not ready to fly, the babies are left in the roost. So our chimney keeps them warm.
I was worried that they wouldn’t return. Last year, we had to fix part of the roof. Our poor builder had very precise instructions from me about how it should be done. No exit points to be sealed and nature friendly wood preservative, with the lowest odour possible. Luckily he understood.
This is from last year. Best time to see them as they come home.
I have been watching the roost and last week they still weren’t back. Then two nights ago, I watched about 40 fly out, before I lost count, so it looks like our careful repair worked. Phew.
Finally, while visiting my parents this week, I discovered the perfect plant for one of our borders. Next time I visit, I’ll dig up a seedling. In the meantime, I have the seed head, so we will have fun trying to grow a few. Artichoke. I’ve grown it before, but this is a different type. Isn’t the transition of the seed head beautiful?
Linking up to Word of the Week #wotw
(*When I grow up I’d like to be an entomologist.)
Lots of discoveries for you this week, and a fair few rediscoveries, too. That bat video is amazing, how wonderful to have them roosting. I am still attempting to convince my children that bats are lovely creatures as they remain adamant that they are evil – popular fiction and TV has a lot to answer for! Thanks for sharing with #WotW
Remind them that the bats eat the bugs that like to bite them. It works every time. Bats are lovely creatures and really don’t deserve their TV, etc image.
How exciting! What a great result you had with the tie dye’s….
Oh wow! How fab to have bats…It sounds like there is a lot.
#WotW
The children loved doing the tie dye. I’m so pleased to see the bats back.
Your bat video is great, don’t you worry that mice will get in the same way as the bats though? We often see them flying around our garden at night but no where near as many as you have. I wonder where they are coming from? Your crocheting is beautiful. Is it a moss stitch? I’m trying to learn the stitch names but am not very good at it yet! #wotw
It’s such an old house, that I’m sure mice could get in by another route if they wanted to, but we’ve had very little problems over the years. I love seeing the bats. The crochet is a split double shell pattern and really easy.
Tie-dye is my favorite craft. It makes me ridiculously happy to wear a tie dye t-shirt. Can’t explain it.
Oh April, I totally get you!
I love tie dying and being able to get out in the dry (when it happens periodically) as life feels much easier for me X #wotwm m
Crafting outside is always a good option.
Hi Cheryl, that moth is obviously a bit of an extrovert or it would have settled on a tree. I have no idea what type of moth it is either. I do like the colour of your crochet. It must be quite exciting when you find a new stitch that works! Not as exciting as having bats though! I would be just like you (except my roughie toughie husband is scared of them!). At one point I thought ‘our swallows’ weren’t coming back, but they did a month later than normal. I honestly rejoiced and gave them a ticking off., Apparently the weather on the way over wasn’t the best.
Thank you for linking up with the #MMBC.
XX
I do look forward to the bats returning. No one in the family is scared of them. We’ve had to look after a couple of the babies that were abandoned due to a rainy summer. Nothing like hand rearing bats to sort that out. I’m so glad your swallows made it back. I have images of the swallows telling you all about their terrible journey!
It’s lovely to have a good sort out and discover things you’ve forgotten. The dye project has me intrigued as to what you are going to do. #WotW
Oh too true. The children are excited about the project, so hopefully when it’s dry again…..
Discovering new things is always a nice way to spend your week. That seed looks so pretty! I miss taking photos of blooms and seeds and nature in general! #wotw
Nothing like pointing a camera at something to really notice it in detail. Same with drawing, I guess.
That artichoke seed head is beautiful. So glad to hear that the bats are back 🙂 #WotW
The seed head has so much going on. Intriguing to look at. I was so relieved to see the bats.
As ever a really lovely post Cheryl. I always learn something when I read about your week! And yes, the camouflage of that moth isn’t the best! #wotw
It must have been desperate…..or very optimistic.
Gad to hear that the bats are back! We too have bats at ours. I could sit in the garden all night watching them silently circle the barns, really fascinating aren’t they?!
Thanks so much for joining in with #MMBC. Hope to see you Monday x
I’m just the same. I could watch them for far too long. They are fascinating creatures.