The Moon

The moon went from being a silver sliver in the late evening sky to this incredible red arc by the time I headed for bed. It was just above the horizon and I watched from the upstairs window as it disappeared from sight.

Well Dressing

We have been to Tissington (near Ashbourne) to view their well dressing. As usual I was amazed by the skill and patience involved in creating these ephemeral works of art. We were lucky with the weather and it wasn't too busy. There were great sandwiches and cream teas available in the village hall and it would have been rude to resist! At least we burned off a few calories by going for a walk!

Flowers

I am delighted that the little violets that I rescued during the building work and tucked back into crevices around the farm are doing amazingly well. I lay on the ground earlier to see if they are scented but sadly that doesn't seem to be the case. More showily my tulips are still putting on a wonderful display. Next year I plan to buy more of the same for the front garden.

The Man

The man I married (34 years ago!) definitely likes a project ... as soon as the sunshine appeared he decided that the front door needed to be repainted! Although today he gets to escape for a rare game of golf.

Blue skies

The birds are all enjoying the sunshine and the sky is full of swallows but to the frustration of the wagtails who get our barns all to themselves over the winter. There are also chaffinches who love any dandelion heads that are going to seed. Our male pheasant is also in his element now that he has two wives and he spends his time shepherding them around the garden. Happy days.

Gardening

While Dave paints I've been catching up on the weeding. I start the day with a vest and two jackets because there is a cool edge to the wind, but before long I'm boiling and the layers start to come off - who cares about 'not casting a clout'!

Sunshine

At last we have sunshine and everything feels full of promise. Although not a cold winter spring has been a long while coming.

Social Media

For more information about life at Hill Farm you can now follow us on Twitter and also on Facebook where we are HillFarmBnB.

Sunset

There is an amazing sky tonight at sunset and as I sit here at the computer it is hard not to be distracted by the view from the window. One of the many pleasures of life at Hill Farm.

Out walking

We checked the forecast and it all looked good so I hung out a load of washing and we set off walking to the pub in the next village. Inevitably we hadn't gone far when spots of rain turned into a downpour and then hail arrived. The sheep dealt with this inclement turn of events by tucking themselves into and under the hedge, we did wonder if there was room for us as sheltering under trees barely in leaf didn't provide much in the way of protection. To add insult to injury when we made it to our destination there was no food available today due to a change of chef and menu. Oh well it was a pretty walk, with lambs, bluebells and I heard lapwings calling.