Our stonemason

Dave has had to learn a huge number of skills for this restoration. Currently stone masonry is the task of the week! During early work on the project the stone sides to our front path were removed for drainage trenches to be dug. Now we need to put them back and find some extra pieces. It's a difficult task as the path itself runs at an angle from the house but for the moment that is how it is going to be re-instated.

Ageing ...

We've painted a bedside cupboard and are now trying out an ageing glaze on it. We, unlike our furniture, don't need any help to look aged!

Spring vegetables

The hard work preparing the vegetable plot has paid off and this morning the sunshine was throwing shadows across the rows of potatoes. The first earlies have just emerged and so will need earthing up and an eye kept out in case of frost.

Daffodil relocation

I've been busy today moving clumps of daffodils. Our naturalised double daffodils span a broad section across the lawn but I would love to have more of them in the area nearer to our boundary so they are being re-located (until Dave requires the spade)! Very meanly while I'm doing this, something (probably a horse fly) takes three large bites from my inner thigh ... ouch, ouch, ouch! Obviously gardening in a skirt wasn't such a good plan.

Just looking

Our plum is just coming into blossom and I hope this tit is just looking for aphids and not eyeing up the tasty buds!

Spring flowers

I was very careful last year when weeding to leave the violets undisturbed and to give them some water during dry periods and the result is that we now have several lovely clumps flowering near the front door where we also have primroses and grape hyacinths - mauve shaded blues and lemon yellows, the colours of an English spring.

Fireplaces

Watch this space, Dave is currently being very busy with Blacking for Grates (and hands and faces it seems!)
The results will be published shortly!

Hares but no boxing

I've been keeping watch on the hares hoping to see them box. Apparently it isn't two males fighting but a female telling a male she isn't interested. As you'll see from the above that wasn't the case for this pair - maybe we'll have leverets on the farm this summer.

'Like rabbits, hares start to breed from a young age, and from about seven months they produce an average of 12 leverets a year in three litters. The breeding season runs from January to October, but May is a good time to look out for the young leverets as food becomes more abundant. They are born with their eyes open and are left alone in the day, in small depressions in the ground, known as forms, to avoid attracting predators. The young hares begin to feed on grass from two weeks old and are fully weaned at four weeks.' 

Countryfile.com

Ginger biscuits

I was delighted to win this months WI competition with my ginger biscuits. I used a Delia Smith recipe but added a pinch of cinnamon and a little fresh ginger chopped to a pulp (and yes I weighed each one before baking to ensure that they were exactly the same size!) I know, I know but that's just how I am!

Sheep relocation

The farmer decided to move his sheep up to the next field (which sadly means I can't watch them from the bedroom window). The move was exciting, the road gate was shut and they were rounded up by man rather than dog power - at first I don't think they could believe that they were actually free - and I was oh so tempted to just open our gate and call "here sheepy, sheepy ..."