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Saturday 20 April 2013

A-Z Challenge 2013 - 'R'



My A-Z posts this year are based on my garden – flowers, animals, the birds and the bees, butterflies - with a bit of poetry thrown in. For some letters I am expecting to cheat somewhat – wishing they were here.

R – Rose, Rhododendron, Robin, Rabbit, Retriever

For a rose we can only begin with Burns:

My love is like a red, red rose
That’s newly sprung in June


An older verse applies to roses too as not all are as red as those.
 
Thou blushing rise, within whose virgin leaves
The wanton wind to sport himself presumes.

Over the years we have been nurturing a rhododendron bush that didn’t thrive in the soil in the front garden border. It has gone from border to tub, to ericaceous tub to back garden border where it now flowers happily.
 
Rhododendron
Three girls, engrossed, were wrenching full clusters
Of cerise and pink from the rhododendron,
Mountaining them on spread newspaper.
They brassily picked, slowed by no chagrin,

I’m pleased to be able to show a photo of one of my favourite birds which I’m sure you will have all seen on Christmas cards.

Robin
 No noise is here. Or none that hinders thought.
The redbreast warbles still, but is content
With slender notes, and more than half suppressed;
Pleased with his solitude, and flitting light
From spray to spray, where’er he rests he shakes
From many a twig the pendant drops of ice,
That tinkle in the withered leaves below.

Cute but less welcomed is this fellow about to attack the plants.
 
Rabbit
Now if today had been Friday then perhaps I’d get up early and sing along:


The song was written for Noel Gay's show 'The Little Dog Laughed' which opened on 11 October 1939, at a time when most of the major London theatres were closed.

The farmer with a gun would have needed a Retriever to fetch the rabbit. I know one that could do the job.

Cody
Incidentally Cody was 15 years old on Easter Sunday; he’s no April fool.

Poems:
Video:
  • Youtube: Flanagan and Allan – Run Rabbit Run

8 comments:

aw said...

One wonders what chance we have of roses in June this year, Bob, with all the cold weather. Beautiful sunshine today though. Maybe things will catch up. A cheering lot of photos.

Jo said...

You reckon Cody could still catch a rabbit? Your roses are lovely Bob, I do love to see them in gardens but not so much in bouquets. Glad you got your rhododendrum to flower, they cover the Blue Ridge mountains in NC.

JO ON FOOD, MY TRAVELS AND A SCENT OF CHOCOLATE

Deb Betz said...

Fun!

I love to see the Robins in the snow...


wearinglemon.blogsot.com

Bob Scotney said...

Jo - Cody is deaf a has poor eyesight now; all he is interested in chasing is a tennis ball.

I look in on your son-in-law's website. I was very impressed and will go back to take a longer look.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Bob .. great Rs .. and I love the Robin - he/she is bright bright red .. real scarlet red-breast .. love it ..

Cheers Hilary

carmilevy said...

I love Cody's face. What a sweetie: happy birthday!

Grammy said...

Hi. Enjoyed the very familiar poetry and the lovely pics. You could add "Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, for time she is a flying." Best regards to you. Ruby.

Anonymous said...

What a lovely post with so many neat photos too.