A spring in your step

Walking alongside the river yesterday I got a waft of the gorse bushes in flower, they smell of coconut and sunshine. The curlews are back in the lower field and we get an early warning of potential visitors or walkers along the north side nature trail about 10 minutes before they appear at the croft gate if the wind is in the right director to hear the curlews calling as someone walks past. As the next few weeks go by they will get more defensive and start to dive lower and lower as you walk by, shrieking at you to keep moving as they protect their nest and then their young.

The river has been very, very low after more than a week of dry days but a night of rain followed by lots of fine misty drizzle today has topped it back up again and everything is greening up before our very eyes.

In the polytunnel everything is sprouting, I am watering every other day, daily when it was very warm and sunny and will do some more sowing next week to keep stuff coming.

Salad leaves and lettuces


Peas


Tomatoes coming through


Outside the fruit cage is coming back to life with new growth on the currants and berries, the trees have buds and shoots. The raised bed area has grown from 10 beds to 15 thanks to all that reclaimed timber and a couple of afternoons work dismantling and putting together. They need filling with soil now ready for taking seedlings later in the year. I'm very excited to have created another five beds for nothing, I even re-used the nails!








In other news Mrs Goose (well actually three Mrs Geese) is still on her nest - I managed to catch one of them still on (see if you can spot her, she is well disguised)



and the nest of one of the others who had nipped off for some food - there are about 18 eggs tucked under this grass and feathers



The bacon has been salted all week and has now gone off to be smoked. It should be ready tomorrow, I cannot express how excited we are at the prospect of trying it. I will report back.

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