First Step.

It is slowly turning colder and more overcast. I got up early and built the base of the first concrete step up to the scree garden. When I originally asked Linas to do this job for me his first request was for a cement mixer. These youngsters are not very adaptable. I may not be young and flexible anymore but today I worked at my own pace quite nicely. I was able to mix smaller quantities of cement in my wheelbarrow while sitting on a garden chair. Very civilised. After work I mowed all the lawns and did some weeding. I also removed the plastic owl from his gibbet, there were 6 jackdaws sitting in the tree with it this morning so they obviously aren't scared. Instead the owl is now atop a long pole and looks as if it is sitting on the roof. The hill by the Lewis' at 4.00 this afternoon. The very same hill that was covered in ice when I had to walk home in the dark after my hip injection at hospital. Driving in to work at lunchtime I spotted a farmer's border collie at the bottom of this hill. You don't often see loose dogs and and a work colleague told me that a collie was killed by the main road only a week or so ago. Today's dog turned into a gateway at the bottom of the hill so I slowed right down just in case it ran out into the road infront of me. No chance of that as the dog was lying stretched out in a deep muddy puddle cooling himself off.

Every day there seem to be more flowers appearing in the hedgerows. First were the pale yellow primroses followed by the bright gold of dandelions and celandines. Next come the white flowers - wild garlic in the shade, stitchwort in the sun. Soon there will be a flashes of deep blue as the bluebells make their brief appearance. I pick a couple of bunches (illegally) of bluebells each year as they look so wonderful in the kitchen. Later the pink flowers will appear, mixing with the white cow parsley to create the prettiest of wild gardens until eventually everything fades to autumnal shades of orange and sand.