Work and Play

A heavy rainfall a week ago softened the ground a little and gave me a good opportunity to dig out clumps of ragwort which had appeared in the paddock.  Livestock will not eat it in its green state but if it gets into grass cut for hay the animals do not recognise it and they suffer fatal poisoning.  It is essential to remove it before it flowers and sets seed.  The seed, like that of the dandelion, is attached to a fluffy umbrella which enables  it to be dispersed in the wind over a wide area, making the problem worse year on year. 

The elder bushes have carried a spectacular amount of blossom this year, reminding me that elderflower cordial is not difficult to make and is a  pleasant drink when mixed with still or sparkling water.  My recipe requires about 20 to 25 flower heads, depending on the size of the heads, 1.5 kgs of granulated sugar, 1.5 litres of water, 2 lemons, 50grms of citric acid and 2 Camden tablets.  Bring sugar and water gently to the boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved then remove from heat and leave to cool.  Slice the lemons thinly. Place in large, plastic container  Add flowers, citric acid and Camden tablets.  Pour in the cool syrup, cover and leave overnight.  Next day strain the mixture through muslin and pour into sterilised bottles.  Stored in the fridge the cordial will keep for two or three months.  Have a go!

The current weather pattern, if one can call it that, seems to be favouring plant growth.  The hedges are full of dog roses, white clover abounds in the field margins and the field beans have grown so fast that we have had to employ a contractor to spray them, our own equipment being unsuitable for such a thick, tall crop.  Beans need a long growing season and are not harvested until September so it is essential to keep the plant healthy until that time.  Of course, our honeybees are shut in their hives when spraying is taking place, but that has not been a problem.  In fact, at the weekend a huge swarm appeared outside the front door, subsequently settling on a tree very close to the house, practically asking to be captured.  Difficult to be sure if they came from one of our hives or not, but they were very docile and are now safely re-housed and working normally.

 The Lowdham Book Festival, mentioned in a previous blog, put on, in its varied programme, an interesting and enjoyable talk by the writer, Eve Makis, with her latest book, The Spice Box Letters, a novel based on Armenian history.  Entertainment was also provided by a group of dancers in elaborate traditional Armenian dress, made, incidentally, by one of the group?  How often would you see that?  Clearly there is no limit to the range of cultural interests catered for in the area.  

Village Life - a hive of activity.

Nottinghamshire's answer to the Hay Festival, Lowdham Book Festival, opened on Friday.  The programme is varied and spread over a number of venues, so it may be safe to say "something for everyone".  Details can be found  on www.lowdhambookfestival.co.uk

The Epperstone Summer Festival is safely behind us.  Though not blessed with sunshine the general feeling was one of thankfulness; it could have been worse.  The previous day was one of non-stop rain and that would have been disastrous.

Impossible to please everyone but  twenty-seven millimetres of rain one night following eight dry and windy days certainly benefited the crops.  The field beans are in flower now,  providing a feast for the bees and filling the air with their delicate perfume on a warm day.

An unusual sight this week - two roe deer were spotted trotting along the edge of the West Brockwood dumble, unusual in the fact that roe deer tend to be nocturnal in their habits so are seldom seen. 

Sadly, the song thrush who has been enchanting  us with his melodious song for the last few weeks was found dead beneath a window; he must have flown into it and knocked himself out.  I shall miss him singing his twice-repeated song from the top of the hawthorn tree.  As the poet wrote -
"That's the wise thrush; he sings each song twice over,
  Lest you should think he never could recapture
  The first fine careless rapture" 

  

"Did I tell you?"

Herby Hedgehog (or one of his relatives) is still with us.  How do I know?  Well, I haven't seen him, of course.  Hedgehogs are nocturnal and I am not.  However,I had been blaming the cats for what I found on the lawn.  I thoiught it was a bit unusual though, then had a sudden idea.  A little research,
(I've got a good book for that) revealed that what I was finding was, in fact, hedgehog "poo".  They say you learn something new every day - I just did.

Another first for me.  Looking out of the window,quite early the other day, I saw a large bird planing and circling over The Hoe (22.7 acres) and rapidly approaching the house.  It flew low and close over the garden so that I could distinguish, in addition to it being as large as, or possibly larger than, a buzzard, its deeply forked tail.  Leafing through yet another of my books I was able to confirm that what I had just seen was a red kite.  As they are partial migrants and this is not typical kite country I think I was lucky to spot this one.  I have since been told that they have been seen more frequently round here; is this another sign of the changing weather pattern?

And finally, still on birds, a heron has spotted the large, fairly recently established, pond in the Stackyard Close.  It is well-stocked with fish so perhaps he will be a regular visitor.  We shall have to see.