Thursday 10 November 2011

Reasons to be cheerful, Part B

For this round of Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday, I thought I would take a theme which might loosely be entitled 'Reasons to be Cheerful, Part _', after the 1979 hit single by Ian Dury and the Blockheads (Reasons to be Cheerful, Part 3).




J


For everyone, the reasons will be different, but I wanted to search around for some of the things which brighten up my day; things for which I am thankful.

B is for berries.


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Berries may not seem much of a reason to be cheerful, but at this time of year, when the leaves are falling, the flowers dying and the days becoming increasingly short, it is very good to know that the berries will be around for a while.



These bright red berries are on my pyrocantha. I can see them from where I am right now; a welcome splash of colour in an otherwise very grey day! They will continue to be cheerful until the blackbirds have run out of easier food and move in to strip this bare. Then, I will have the pleasure of watching them at work for a few days.


A similar tale here, but this is slightly further away from the house and will show up on the blackbird RADAR a little earlier than the red. Aren't they lovely against the blue sky? (There's another B which is certain to bring cheer!)


The rose hips have replaced blooms on most of the roses and will retain their red for a while yet. There aren't a huge number of these, but every little helps!


And then there are the berries further afield, like these yew berries photographed on a recent walk. Colour to brighten the day.


When the last of the leaves have littered the ground and turned to so much dark brown mush, I will look at these berries and think cheerful thoughts!

25 comments:

  1. I love these pictures! mother Nature certainly knows how to brighten our world!

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  2. Aren't those warm coloured yew berries pretty?! yes, they certainly would brighten my day :)

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  3. Berries are so cheerful at this time of year when days can be dark and gloomy. A good source of food for the birds too:)

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  4. As I pass those great clumps of red-ripe berries I am always tempted to grab a bunch and eat them. I know I would probably drop dead before I reached the end of the road, but they are so tempting.

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  5. Bright red berries in winter are a delight.
    Great shots.
    Happy AT.

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  6. I seem to remember WAY back when I suggested this blog to you that you were not so sure now your are just BRILLIANT at it much Beter than me and more consistent . Come January I will be on every week for three onths whilst I recover from major back surgery

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  7. I agree with you ! When berries are the only color spots in the landscape I love them too and they raise my good mood !

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  8. New follower from Alphabe-Thursday. Love the berries and your take on the gratitude. I'm off to the fridge for a few berries of my own with breakfast!

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  9. I like this approach to the letter B! Blessings...

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  10. such a small thing
    Brings so much delight
    mother nature @ her Best
    great post for letter B
    ~victoria~

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  11. Love the berries in your first pic - immediately lifts one's spirit! And the rosehip reminds me of the rosehip jam my mother bought -I should look for it!

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  12. I love berry-laden trees and bushes. We have a lot of them in my neighborhood, and they are gorgeous.

    I would love to plant some of my own.

    =)

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  13. Those yew berries are brilliant - I have never seen so many.

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  14. We have a berry laden bush too. It call my three year old to it when we are in the yard.

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  15. Those are our berries! That's my photo! We live surrounded by pyrocantha. California Quail and Waxwings eat ours....Nice visit to your garden thanks!

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  16. Your berry photos have made me feel very cheerful! Thank you soooo much!!

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  17. Beautiful photographs. I'd enjoy watching those birds too!

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  18. I have never seen that many berries before Great post

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  19. Lovely. We have loads of berries round here just now. If only the sun would shine I would get out there and have a look!

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  20. Beautiful berries! There's a pyrocantha near where I park and I love to see the berries against the weathered fence.

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  21. Those are quite beautiful to see during this time of the year, aren't they? I know that E and I have seen several places with these red berries whenever we go out for our walks.

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  22. I love how when the leaves are all gone the red remains like little lights in the forest.

    I missed the posting deadline for Alphabe-Thursday this week...feel free to stop by, tho... :)

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  23. Hello.
    I think the colors of autumn are so sultry...that's probably why it's my favorite season (smile).
    Awesome photos!
    Thanks for sharing & visiting. I appreciate the comment.

    Seasons Of Beauty

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  24. Ooooh. I'm loving the sound of this 'theme'. And what beautiful berries you've shared with us.

    These pictures are so bright and happy.

    I'm always amazed by the lovely color in rose hips. Have you ever tried making tea with them?

    Thanks for linking up to Alphabe-Thursday!

    A+

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