Warm.

With a strong wind blowing from the south it has been a fairly warm day. While I was out weeding in the hens' run I could hear Peter trying to start up the chainsaw. Unfortunately, because we use it so rarely it generally needs an overhaul before we can get it working. This time Peter was muttering about a plug and the fuel. Oh well, at least he tried. I took a break from the weeding to climb up into the old loft to see if I could spot any breaks in the wires. Thankfully I didn't have to climb right up into the loft but just had to get my head and shoulders through the tiny hatches. I saw piles of sticks left by the jackdaws but couldn't see anything wrong with the wires. Peter says he'll talk to an electrician at work for advice as to what to do next. 

Out in the hens' run I dug out the stump of the pear tree which had been cut down due to fire blight. Then I moved down to the bottom of the patch to start  clearing the weeds and junk. I plan to shift some of the soil there so we have a lower planted area. Once we have removed the Irish Yew the middle bit would be perfect for growing vegetables and that's what I'll tell any prospective buyers. However I don't fancy the extra digging that would involve so I shall sow grass seed just to keep it tidy. Mowing will be a lot easier than planting veg.

 I picked this apple for Peter to have with his lunch tomorrow.

This afternoon there was a swallow flying only a couple of feet above the ground. When it landed on the drive I was concerned firstly about the cats and then I wondered if it had been left behind because it wasn't strong enough to make the long flight to Africa. A while later I saw a lonely swallow flying above the lake but then there were 2 more flying over the garden. At least it is not all on its own.