Spring is arriving in subtle ways here in the North West of Scotland. Unlike the heady burst of a Somerset Spring where the sap seems to visibly rise through the branches and bulbs, there is a steely caution to the daffodils that have braved the March winds by the Lochan outside our window. I have a new found respect for the Pampas grasses which have survived the brutal winter gales and are just starting to sprout new green growth.
The surest signal of the shifting season was the toad activity for two nights leading up to the Equinox. I let the dog out for his evening sniffs and he yelped with curiosity and delight at the writhing scene. Hundreds of the little croakers!
The campsite near our house is open again after the winter break and we are slowly adjusting to the lights and activity. Sharing the beach is taking a bit of getting used to too, we've been so spoiled.
Beachcombing has been a little less frenetic - January and February seemed to be the key months for the amazing shell finds so now I'm sorting out and photographing all the treasures.
The colours of the scallop shells are amazing, from steely blue/grey to pink and orange. It's just as well I have to wait until next year for the next batch of great finds as I'm running out of space for them all.
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