Dodging the rain showers earlier we have just returned from a quick walk around Bitts Park in Carlisle.
What a change in the weather from a few weeks ago when mum was threatening to cut all our fur off due to the heat.
The heating and fire were even switched back on earlier in the week as temperatures dropped below zero and an overnight frost returned.
More stinky than Charlie
The warm weather does seem to have moved nature on quite a bit and just on our short walk we came upon stinky wild garlic flowers, tulips, bluebells and a whole host of flowering plants.
We could smell the garlic from a good way off as it spread a strong crushed onion smell across the path.
Thankfully only a few plants had flowered so the scent was not as bad as it could have been for our very sensitive noses.
Hidden under the tree canopy alongside the River Eden mum spotted a small collection of Bluebells.
Standing around 10cm tall the slightly purple bell shaped flowers contrasted against the rich green woodland floor.
Another strong flower we sniffed today included these hyacinths. Arranged in a small clump these half dozen or so flowers really packed a punch when it comes to a sweet perfume sniffable for quite some distance.
Insects, bees and birds also seemed to be making the most of the cooler daytime conditions as the buzzed and whizzed over our heads.
New notice boards
Yet more things have been installed in the park since our last visit. You may remember that a project has been going on as part of a Roman Frontiers project.
The latest additions include new information boards clamped to carved wooded posts.
Although a good idea in some ways we wondered if they could be read by someone in a wheelchair as they had quite small lettering and they seemed quite a bit off the ground.
Big rabbits – or a monster ?
Walking back over the grass back towards the Sheepmount area and the car we spotted a couple of trees that were damaged.
At least three, otherwise healthy trees, all in various locations from the river bank, had the bark scratched or eaten off and left on the surrounding grass.
There seemed to be some tooth or claw marks running horizontally around the trunk.
If we had been in a forest we could have possibly assumed this damage had been done possibly by deer but this was in the wide open area of a city.
Do you know what might have caused this damage? Let us know via the comments area below.
Until next time
Buster and Charlie