Scenes from the weekend... Part 1

The Saturday before Easter and the weather is superb today. Whilst the air temperature is not exactly on the cosy side, the sunshine is wonderful and, if you can get out of the cool breeze that's blowing, then there is definite warmth in the sun! We had an exciting morning visiting one of the local supermarkets (I know, I know) and then headed off to an agricultural supplier to get some more grit and various bits and bobs for the new hens. More of them later. Then back home and a few chores around the home before heading into the garden... lots and lots of chores to be done there at this time of the year.

In tune with Easter, a bunch of (mostly!) yellow flowers, some from the supermarket visit earlier this morning whilst the daffodils are from our garden. Just in an old white jug and placed in the hall...

I love these two green crystal bowls you can see here - they are old but I don't know how old they are. However, I think the etching is charming. I expect that they are the type of bowls that would have been placed on a dining table, ready for the dregs a wine glass to be emptied into when a new wine was to be served...

In keeping with the yellow theme, some freesias with their delicious perfume wafting through the kitchen. Fortunately, you can't really define the dead ceanothus through the window - it didn't survive this last winter even with the protection of the house close to it, so this weekend it's going to go!

More on the theme of yellow - this time some self sown cowslips in the garden underneath one of the pear trees. There are masses in this area of the grass but these are the first to show their faces.

Just behind the cowslips are these deep blue grape hyacinths or muscari - these are pretty little things and as with the cowslips we seem to have thousands scattered around the garden. Even my bulb digging hens don't seem to be able to destroy these. Thank goodness!



And some white hyacinths just by the old well in front of the house. The bulbs are planted in the grass so happily my little darlings are not able to scratch these pretty flowers out of the ground.



The grass had its first cut for the season. This area of 'lawn' has been ravaged by a mole (and the hens) so we have some serious work cut out for us in order to firstly deal with dear little Moley, and then to get the lawn into shape again. Irritatingly, the ride-on mower decided that it is still on winter holidays, so refused to start. An acre or so of unkempt winter grass is a pain to cut with an normal mower!



Reward for effort!! The sun is now well over the yardarm (it's about 6.15pm) and so I made a cool, refreshing gin and tonic for each of us. Delicious!



A few more things to be done outside, tools to be cleaned and put away, the hens to be bedded down for the night and safely secured in their runs. By now, it's cold outside, the light is going from the day and it's time to light a fire in the wood burning stove in the Snug. Time also to turn some lights on inside the house and to think about preparing the evening meal.



If you were coming to share a meal with us tonight, you'd see this view of our front door...



before being welcomed into our little entrance hall where we like to have lots of candles burning, no matter what the season or weather...



perhaps you'd care for a glass of chilled white wine before your meal?



I hope you enjoyed your Saturday as much as we enjoyed ours! Warm wishes, Vxx