In Memory of Mums

At Christmas time we are reminded of Christmases past and those that are no longer with us. It has been a hard year for a lot of us and we lost my Mother-in-Law (Rosemary Hutt) due to a Lymphoma in late November. Both these Mums in my (Sally’s) life were inspiring ladies and both had a love of wildlife they have passed on to me. Rosemary was involved with Cumbria Wildlife Trust from 1978 and was Chair of the Cumbria West Coast local group and volunteered on their committees. She also walked every week with the local Holiday Fellowship group, leading many walks and kept the participants informed of passing wildlife.

I am fortunate in having Mum’s blog to look back on and here is a poem she wrote post Christmas in December 2013 for Fraser our now nearly 19 year old son and gives us hope of the spring to come soon which this year will hopefully bring us a vaccine and respite from out curtailed activities:

Primrose (Primula vulgaris)

Festivals – been and gone,
gifts unwrapped, eaten, broken.
The year has turned,

resolutions made,
hunkered down til Spring has sprung
Pray it’s not too long.

Hope not long deferred:
today seen on roadside bank
first buds of primrose.

(c) Vivienne Blake 27 December 2013

This year, when we haven’t been able to travel, I have walked/run every morning with our Cocker Spaniel Oscar looking out for the emerging wildlife. I have posted photos of my daily exploits to facebook to cheer up those that haven’t been able to get out themselves. The flowers have just kept going through December and every time I see them I think of Rosemary and how she always carried a notebook to record what she saw in flower. I try and record things with photos!

Ash Trees through the Seasons (c) Sally Hutt 2020

Flowers in December 2020 (c) Sally Hutt 2020