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.

A Bit About Honey and a Date for Your Diary.

The saga continues with bees and honey.  It is as well to remember that honey from the oilseed rape needs to be extracted before it sets in the comb.  That means keeping a close eye on it and removing the frames before they are capped, that is, before the bees have sealed the cells with wax.  The test is to give a frame a gentle shake and if the honey remains in the cells it is ready for extraction.  Too early and the honey ferments, too late and you will have to cut out the comb and warm it gently in an appropriate container  until the wax rises and the honey remains beneath it.  When cool again the wax sets into a block and can be removed  and at last you can get at the honey.  It sounds messy and it is and obviously makes more work for the beekeeper and also for the bees who then have to build more comb  onto the foundation (thin sheets of wax imprinted with shape of comb and attached to the frames).

Unfortunately, we were really busy last week and although we achieved a timely extraction we were unable to run off the honey into jars immediately.  The result was that the honey started to granulate in the ripener and we now have to warm it slightly to make it runny again in order to fill the jars. Oh well, they say you learn by your mistakes so that is one we will not make again. 

Some really good news for Epperstone this week - The Cross Keys pub, which has been closed since the autumn, is to re-open shortly with new tenants.  Contractors are scheduled to start on June 8th  to carry out some work with a view to opening early in July.  In the meantime Des and Trish have been beavering away clearing and planting up the garden and outdoor seating areas until such time as they can open the doors for business.  Although there is no shortage of excellent hostelries in the area a village without a pub  does seem somewhat lacking.  The Cross Keys, being in the centre of the village, was much missed during its closure so we are looking forward to seeing it up and running once again.

The next item on the village agenda is the Open Garden Festival, taking place on Sunday,
June 14th.  In addition to the many gardens which will be open for visiting there will be a number of stalls, cream teas, Granny's Attic, a fun Family Dog Show, the inevitable raffle and, new this year, an exhibition of paintings by local artists.  Definitely an occasion not to be missed.

  

All about Bees

The bees have been busy this week and so has the beekeeper.  It seems that there are more bees than beekeepers in the area.  There have been so many phone calls requesting us to collect a swarm that we have run out of equipment and had to turn down the request.  In fact it is not always necessary or even advisable to collect swarms from an unknown source.  Sometimes they have settled in places where they are inconveniencing nobody and can perfectly well be left to do their own thing.  Sometimes, if  they are completely inaccessible but causing a problem, the only solution is to kill them off but that is a last resort and something that nobody likes to have to do.  There are risks as well.  The bees may not be one hundred per cent healthy and can carry disease into the apiary. There is also the risk that it may be a strain of bee that is naturally aggressive and therefore not easy to handle.  A bee that is docile makes life a lot pleasanter for the apiarist. 

That said, we have had a good week.  A strong colony has been split and shared with another local beekeeper and the removal of queen cells from one of our colonies will have prevented losing some of our own bees.  When a swarm leaves the hive it also takes with it supplies in the form of honey to use while it sets up elsewhere.  This is normal (and sensible!) but obviously reduces the amount of honey available to harvest for sale or personal use.....which leads me to say that, at the weekend, we were able to extract 40lbs of honey.

For me this is what it is all about.  There is nothing to beat the scent of freshly extracted honey; it is an annual source of pleasure.  More about that next week.

Events in May

Very strong winds on several days this week blew the blossom off the fruit trees and ornamentals into the courtyard.  It looked like confetti, as though we had had a wedding here.

My plea for rain was obviously heard.  The ground has had a good soaking and the vegetable seeds sown last week have already germinated.

Village attention this week focuses on Footpath Sunday, which will be celebrated this year on May 10th.  Tradition dictates that the footpaths within the parish are walked at least once every year in order for them to remain open.  Of course, under present legislation once a footpath has been registered it is almost impossible to get it closed or diverted and there are strict rules in place which require that specific widths are adhered to and the condition under foot restored if cultivations have taken place.  Nevertheless it is a good opportunity for excercise combined with socialising and is popular with parishioners as well as visitors from outside the parish.

 In many parishes these walks are arranged to take place on Rogation Sunday, when, either before the walks start or during the walks, the crops are blessed.  It is one of the occasions when agriculture and the Church are closely linked.

In the case of Epperstone groups of walkers return to the Village Hall and enjoy a delicious tea, prepared by the Women's Institute. 

A Glimpse of the Garden

Well, we had our little bit of rain.  It washed away the dust  and got everything, including the weeds, growing fast.  I managed a stint in the vegetable plot where I planted potatoes, beetroot and peas.  The garden robin sees me coming and waits eagerly for easy pickings.  He is now so unafraid that he frequently lands on my foot; in fact it is I who am afraid in case I tread on him.

The garden is particularly colourful at present, mainly due to the wallflowers which also fill the air with perfume.  Emerging growth on the roses is a dark red which will change to green as the leaves unfold.  The clematis montana is coming into leaf and bud now.  That is a good thing because a blackbird has elected to nest in it but is not sufficiently well-hidden and is easily disturbed. When I have to pass it I take care to look away as this convinces her that she is unseen.

Sunny days and long, light evenings are the attraction for the many walkers who use the public footpath that passes the farm.  Some will simply walk from the village and back, but the more energetic will make it a circular walk, taking an hour or more.  Further afield, on May 9th, Sherwood Forest Country Park is the place to go for the Tree Council's Walk in the Woods when you can join a guided walk, wander through the woods and learn more about the place and its special trees.

On a final note - MORE RAIN- I am sorry, but we do need it; the ground is incredibly dry.