Hazel catkins

The hazel catkins are looking glorious at the moment and I'm not by any means the first to blip them this year.  But they are a harbinger of spring and a sign the year is turning, so of course I want them in my journal.  If you were to look at this shot in large you would probably also see the tiny scarlet buds of the female hazel flowers.  So perhaps I should count this as my first wildflower of the year!

I guess you will have seen I've turned my comments off.  This is absolutely not from lack of appreciation - I love your comments - but because I need an early night tonight and therefore can't run out of time.  So you'll just get hearts and stars from me and my apologies.  In the morning I'm off to London for a 'proceedure' that's going to leave me rather doped up.  It's being done at St Thomas', so no lovely photowalk along the South Bank.  Little Sis is meeting me on the way up and making sure I get home okay.

Enjoy your evening, dear blipfriends, and of course your tomorrow  xx