"A superfluity of naughtiness"

Friday 29th April 2016


The local crows



It was probably one of these who killed our blackbird chick.  It might not have happened if gamekeepers were still able to cull crows.

Signs of spring

Wednesday 27th April 2015

Things change -- for good or ill

Tuesday 26th April 2016

 

     The course of the river has been slightly changed since the winter floods brought enough stones downstream to form a pebbly shore.
     Meanwhile, I was summoned out of the house by the desperate sound of the male blackbird repeating his emergency call.  As I stepped outside a menacing great crow flew off.  I peeped through the fir branches beside the door to see an empty nest.  No mother bird sitting and no sign of the fledgling.  A few moments silence and then nearby the blackbird sang a sad song.

Hope in the churchyard

Monday 4th April 2016

 

The graveyard at St Peter's church at Humshaugh showing just the right signs of new life on the day of a funeral in Eastertide

Curlews and frogspawn

Sunday 3rd April 2016

Unusually managed to fit in a ride on the fells between Sunday services and enjoyed some signs of spring with frogspawn in the puddles and curlews in the sky (with the view but not the season shown in this picture)

Eggs for Easter

Easter Day 27th March 2016

 The pictures are not as good as the eggs: above are two traditionally decorated Pasque Eggs (hardboiled, tied round with flowers or leaves and then dyed with natural herbs) which we were given after church and enjoyed for our Easter tea.  Below are the two eggs laid by a blackbird at the rectory!

End of term

Maundy Thursday 24th March

The frieze painted by Messy Church illustrates the story of Holy Week: Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem riding on a donkey whilst the crowds wave palm branches on Palm Sunday; then the Last Supper with his disciples on Maundy Thursday; then his death on the cross by crucifixion on Good Friday; and the climax as he rose from the dead on Easter Day.

Bellingham Middle School read passages telling this story during their end-of-term service.

Preparing for the bishop's visit

Tuesday 22nd March 2016

One of the calls during a morning's parish visiting was to Leaplish to see if I could bring the bishop to get an insight on what is provided for visitors to the area of Kielder Water.

The Journey to Easter

Sunday 13th March 2016

 

Messy Church in Falstone United Reformed church waving "palm branches" to welcome Jesus to Jerusalem on the "Holy Week" journey to death and resurrection

The knitted Bible!

Tuesday 8th March 2016


Jesus's Last Supper with his twelve disciples....

but look closely, and you will see that the figures are all knitted.

     Thirty four different Bible stories were illustrated in the display at the Methodist United Reformed Church.

Looking at the various scenes on a school visit

Jesus appears after his resurrection and guides his disciples to a great catch of fish