flowers on a grey day...

Today has been so cold, wet and grey - whilst I really love the coast in winter, I just couldn't bring myself to drive up there to walk in the rain and freeze so the next step of my beaches tour was postponed in favour of a wander into the city, a lazy breakfast with Tom, coffee and welcome chat with a friend and an evening indoors with my knitting!

There has been the odd patch of sunshine but quickly chased away by dark clouds and biting winds.  I have been glad of some early flowers in my little patch of outdoors space which were nodding brightly at me today. 

Pretty, delicate hellebores...

These seem to have an almost papery, translucent feel, weighed down by the raindrops...

And bright, white primroses, providing a splash of light on such a dull day...

This space outside my door is so sheltered by the surrounding houses of the courtyard that it doesn't seem to catch the frost in spite of the bitter temperatures and the bulbs are all racing ahead, making me feel as though Spring really must be just around the corner. I even spotted new shoots on the roses and fuschia today so am hoping they haven't suffered too badly from the severe pruning I gave them after all!

In the city this afternoon we were treated to an impressive display of starlings coming in to roost...

It was quite an impressive, though slighty eerie, sight as more and more birds joined the flock swooping and swirling like some sort of menacing black wave over the top of the shopping centre. They were difficult to photograph clearly on my phone because they were moving so fast. I'm told this is called a murmuration and although I've seen them flock like this in the countryside before, I can't remember seeing it in the centre of the city. Apparently there have been up to 3000 birds and it was certainly quite mesmerising to watch. 

Here's hoping for brighter weather next weekend...

Sx