Freewheeling
Its been only a few weeks since my last post but the time seems to have flown by. The indoor jungle of pots and seed trays has now moved outside, the majority settled into their final positions. The rate of growth has been spectacular, already tiny bean pods are beginning to form on the broad beans and the very first small tomatoes are swelling rapidly. There have been some minor casualties from slugs but a few nights spent collecting the slimy culprits has kept this to a minimum, I'm happy to share a certain amount. A week of late frosts was followed by several more of hot sunny weather but still no rain. Watering is a nightly duty.
The garden has moved on from the yellow hues of spring, and the borders now overflow with clouds of hazy blue Nigella buzzing with bees. It's common name, love-in-the-mist, describes it well, star shaped flowers of intense blue held aloft feathery green leaves which catch the sun in the early mornings.
Lockdown life has settled into a normal routine although shopping for food still necessitates queuing for about an hour. With sunny warm days many meals have been early salads from the plot with a tin of tuna or eggs. I've always had very little food waste and am now even more thrifty, trying my hand at fermentation. First an experimental kimchi from cauliflower leaves and the normally discarded tough green leaves of a leek before moving on to making my own yoghurt using a Finnish viili culture and a huge jar of kombucha is fermenting quietly in the larder.
This week we should have been trekking the Pyrenees but instead we've found adventure right on our doorstep. Seeking escape from the house, we've been cycling for miles through previously unexplored tracks and lanes. Each day the hedgerows change and new flowers emerge, my eyes catching sight of bounty to come. Blackberry bushes are beginning to bud and the delicate dog rose distracts the unwary cyclist freewheeling past leaving a trail of bloody scratches. The air is heavy with the scent of elderflower and the last of the hawthorn blossom.
Deer have been a frequent sight, sometimes unaware of our presence until almost within touching distance. Pheasants, weasels, rabbits and a squirrel have all crossed our path. A swan turns her eggs as we watch from the bridge and red kites glide on the thermals above. Instead of feeling constrained its been a joy to travel at this slower pace and catch these fleeting glimpses of the wild.
Lockdown life is suiting me well.
The garden has moved on from the yellow hues of spring, and the borders now overflow with clouds of hazy blue Nigella buzzing with bees. It's common name, love-in-the-mist, describes it well, star shaped flowers of intense blue held aloft feathery green leaves which catch the sun in the early mornings.
Lockdown life has settled into a normal routine although shopping for food still necessitates queuing for about an hour. With sunny warm days many meals have been early salads from the plot with a tin of tuna or eggs. I've always had very little food waste and am now even more thrifty, trying my hand at fermentation. First an experimental kimchi from cauliflower leaves and the normally discarded tough green leaves of a leek before moving on to making my own yoghurt using a Finnish viili culture and a huge jar of kombucha is fermenting quietly in the larder.
This week we should have been trekking the Pyrenees but instead we've found adventure right on our doorstep. Seeking escape from the house, we've been cycling for miles through previously unexplored tracks and lanes. Each day the hedgerows change and new flowers emerge, my eyes catching sight of bounty to come. Blackberry bushes are beginning to bud and the delicate dog rose distracts the unwary cyclist freewheeling past leaving a trail of bloody scratches. The air is heavy with the scent of elderflower and the last of the hawthorn blossom.
Deer have been a frequent sight, sometimes unaware of our presence until almost within touching distance. Pheasants, weasels, rabbits and a squirrel have all crossed our path. A swan turns her eggs as we watch from the bridge and red kites glide on the thermals above. Instead of feeling constrained its been a joy to travel at this slower pace and catch these fleeting glimpses of the wild.
Lockdown life is suiting me well.
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