Garden wildlife

For the first time in a couple of years, we spotted a hedgehog in our back garden tonight.  
Nice to see it as they are so much in decline these days.  Also, our blackbirds are busy with their nest again so we are hoping to see a second brood of birds in the coming weeks.

Bird nest beside patio

A few weeks ago we noticed blackbirds flying in and out of the euonymus that grows up the fence beside our patio.

We suspected that a nest was being built so kept clear of the area in the hope that some eggs would be laid and new birds would fledge.  Success!  I saw one blackbird fledge but, unfortunately, do not know how many birds fledged in total.

A few days after the blackbirds had left the nest we tried to see the nest.  That was so difficult!  After several attempts to locate the nest, I spotted it behind the trellis and up against the arris rail.

Not the tidiest of nests!

The blackbird breeding season lasts from early March to late July.  During this period, blackbirds rear 2-3 broods.  In a good year a fourth breed may be attempted.  It has now been almost a week since the birds left the nest but, over the last few days, I have seen adult blackbirds returning to the nest and wonder if they might be going to breed again.  I will watch, from the comfort of my sofa, with interest!

Bluebells

Today we went to Micheldever Woods to see the bluebells.  The last time we went was a few years ago, very early in the morning, when the sun was just up.  The bluebells then were fantastic.  This year we arrived mid-morning, could not get parked in the car park and arrived just as the sun was disappearing behind some clouds - not a great start.   The sun made occasional brief appearances from then on but this made the photography rather tricky.

Apparently there is a good display of bluebells in the woods a few hundred yards from my house so, weather permitting, I might take Lucy for a walk in that area in the next few days and see if I can get some better photos.

12 little ducklings

A few days ago, Rod and I walked Lucy around the back of Botleigh Grange hotel.  On the way we crossed a small bridge over a stream.  Much to our surprise, we saw a 'mummy' duck with 12 ducklings in tow.  Unfortunately, we did not have a camera with us. They were swimming against the tide so the stronger ducklings were OK but some of the others had to navigate their way across a few pebbles to make progress.  It was fun watching them learn and watching the mother duck waiting for them to make sure they were alright.   

Next time I do that walk I will have to take a camera with me and see if I can spot them again.  

April activities

At last we have had some better weather....much drier and sunnier but still with lower than usual temperatures.   The garden has had a bit of a tidy up, the patio, path and garden seat has been cleaned with my new Karcher machine - absolutely brilliant.  Took about an hour and a half as opposed to the best part of a day before with the old machine!  Might do the front driveway one day.

I have made my first batch of sourdough bread and very tasty it was too.  I now have a starter which I will have to nurture so I can make some more soon.

This weekend we had our friends Marian and Roy to stay.  They like historical things so we took them to a diving museum at Stokes Bay near Gosport.  The verdict was that it was quite interesting, especially as they got talking to an 'old boy' that was an ex-diver which brought it all to life.  Whilst they were all in the museum I was walking Lucy along the seafront and into a nearby park.

We also visited Farley Mount, near Winchester:

Cookie and trouser making

Last weekend we met up with some of my cousins at Hilliers Arboretum in Romsey and then went back to Daphne's house for a superb late lunch.   There were not many flowers out this year - mainly daffodils.

As ever, I wanted to take a little something with a bottle of wine so decided to make some yummy oat and cherry cookies.

I wrapped them up in red tissue paper covered in transparent polka dot paper to make them look extra good.  Very nice they looked too.

Today I am going to start making a pair of trousers.  Not because I want to but because I just cannot find trousers that are a good fit for me. After trying on endless numbers of trousers in various shops and ordering some online, I have given up.   I even wrote to M&S to vent my frustrations but doubt that will make them change their sizes or styles.  Speaking to other ladies of around my age I know I am not alone in my views but we just don't think the people who run these organisations are hearing what we are saying.  It is very difficult to buy material with a little stretch in in that is suitable for making ladies trousers.  The colour choice is extremely limited and I have ended up with khaki - the lightest colour I could find.  Not ideal but it will have to do.  Whether what I produce will be wearable we will have to wait and see!

Will winter ever end?

It has been the coldest March in the UK since 1962.  Normally, by now, I would have dug and tidied the garden, seen all the spring flowers bloom and started cleaning the patio ready for the summer BBQs.  My daffodils have finally bloomed but there is no sign of my tulips.  I think they have drowned.  I have been thinking what to plant in my minute vegetable patch this year.  It needs to be things that won't get eaten by the slugs and can compete with nearby trees and bushes.  I am considering a rhubarb crown - not that I eat a lot of rhubarb but I am sure I can make a few things with it and freeze the rest.  That would half fill the plot, the other half of which currently contains a blueberry bush and a handful of winter cabbage plants that are, at last, coming to life.  I think I will see what happens to the the weather over the next week or two before I decide.

Today I made a sour dough starter as I have wanted to make a sour dough bread for ages.  By pure coincidence, Paul Hollywood was on TV yesterday evening demonstrating his version of such bread. Maybe that has spurred me on to do it at last.  I am quite intrigued by what the bread will taste like.

Today the news is full of the life of Margaret Thatcher who died yesterday.  She was quite a character and, whatever you thought of her politics, she must have been very determined and strong to have become prime minister and stayed in office for 12 years.

Since my semi-retirement last November I have been remarkably busy.  I think my work is likely to quieten down for the next few months so I might have time to try a few new things and think about the rest of my life....who knows?