A Walk in the Woods . . .

. . . without Bill Bryson.

As part of Sudbourne Manor given to Bishop Æthelwold by Kind Edgar C959-963 who then granted the land to a Benedictine Monastery, this ancient woodland has been owned by bishops, noblemen and moneyed landowners through the centuries until more recently it was acquired by Suffolk Wildlife Trust. It showcases, if I can use use that word in the same paragraph with ‘wildlife trust,’ a breathtaking display of bluebells in the spring.

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Would you care to join me Restless Jo for a stroll in the bluebell wood?

A bench with a view,
Of a sea of blue,
There’s water here too,
But no beach for you,
Jude.

Tiptoeing through the Tulips

After one-and-a-half years living in and several visits to Washington State we never made it to Skagit Valley to see the tulips. It was one of probably hundreds of wonderful sights that we missed while in the States for nine years. To placate myself I convinced himself to visit ‘Tulipmania’ with me. He was less than enthusiastic. I wasn’t expecting much. Don’t you love it when things turn out so much better than you expected? If you like tulips, click to enlarge these pics. If you don’t, there are more exciting things below!

I’ve christened these tulips Gale Force Yellow: If you’re not tulip-ed out (I’m American. We make up words) visit my cousin’s WordPress site and her stunning photos of the Skagit Valley tulips here. And for Jude’s Bench Challenge sit here: This bench with a view is only a week late. She said the rules were flexible. If you’re a glutton for punishment, listen to this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcSlcNfThUA Go on! It will give you a laugh!