Monday 16th May 2016

After working all day, having tea and sorting a few things out, I set off a little later than I intended.  I took the path up the drive trying to decide which way to turn when at the top. Sadly, both ways were in shadow and not appealing at all looking back the field was basking by itself in the sun so I turned round and went back down.  I tried to take a photo of a couple of pheasants I startled out of the crops but I was facing the sun and they were too quick for me.  I did spot a quite a few holes down the verge of the drive that were made by a badger.  He (or she) paws at the ground to get their favourite foods from under the grass but they do make a bit of a mess and cause a challenge for the lawnmower.

We used to have one digging in the part of our garden I call 'the orchard', mainly because of the roughness of the ground, but we do have a very old apple tree that holds one end of my washing line, a Conference pear and a Blenheim apple tree. We did have a couple more trees but it was a Victoria plum and another yellow variety, as I am sensitive to wasp stings I was always hesitant about picking them. Once one contracted a disease and the other didn't fruit, they were cut down. At one point we had the badger digging big holes and a mole pushing earth up so I used to fill the holes with the nicely turned over earth from the mole hill. I suspect that part of the garden is full of underground tunnels now.

Back to my walk, I tried to find something of interest to show you, apart from a signpost and a badger hole and spotted some May blossom in the hedge. This comes from the Hawthorn tree, quite often used as hedging, as the sharp thorns are good for keeping livestock in (or out). It's my belief this is where the saying comes from 'Ne'er cast a clout 'til May is out'. I don't think it means the month of May due to our unpredictable weather but I might be wrong.

The nettles are growing tall as shown in the photo with the antidote to nettle stings in the next photo. The dock leaf does work quite well, so long as it is split a little so the green 'juice' can be rubbed on the sting.

I used to make nettle wine; it was very easy, very tasty, very sweet and very potent! Only a small liqueur glass was needed. The downside was the smell of nettles cooking is reminiscent of several cats that have sprayed the kitchen many, many times.