Spring

Last week end was Easter so no surprises that it was cold wet and windy. What else would it Be? It was a bank holiday weekend! We didn't do a great deal over the weekend only snagging jobs on the shower room. Monday was Step Sister in Laws birthday. So we drove over to Tixover House Care home to visit her. She's just slowly deteriorating and now doesn't recognise us. Last year she was more alert and the cooks had mad e her a birthday cake that she managed a small mouthful before chocking and giving up. We spent an hour with her making inane onesided conversation that we know she couldn't hear before heading back home.

There are some new arrivals at Tixover. This neat, fox proof hen house complete with occupants has taken found a home in front of the residents lounge window. Several new benches and coffee tables have been located under the trees in the drive overlooking the countryside. The field in front is full of sheep with their newborn offspring. They had escaped to the other side of the field when I took the photo.

Spring has really emerged from the winter doldrums. This week has been really pleasant with warm sunshine and blue skies. In the garden my little peach tree is covered with pink blossom, now I need the bees and insects to pollinate and hopefully by the end of summer there will be juicy peaches to be picked.

These shy little unusual white violets Have seeded themselves in different parts of my garden. I thought I had lost them as they were no where to be seen in their usual patch. Then they appeared in other locations, thankfully.

The frogs have been sadly missing since the grass snake took up residence. We also had two winters when the spawn was destroyed by late frosts so when Dave spotted a couple of frogs courting and frolicking in the pond one night he decided to give their offspring a better fighting chance . The jelly spawn was duly transported into a redundant fish tank where they quickly hatched and are growing at an amazingly rapid pace.