Spring Swelter

Well - who'd have thought that after last week's Blackthorn Winter this weekend we'd be sweltering again!

And who'd have believed that on the hottest day of the year so far East Garston is without water?  We have finally drained every last bit of water in the house so it had better come on soon.  And after weeks of water and mud everywhere Jonathan had to call out a tanker to keep the animal troughs topped up.

It's been too hot to walk the dogs in the daytime, so I've been taking them out early in the morning and early evening.  This evening we went up the hill and poked around Roger's Wood, and it was so beautiful.

Bluebells everywhere

and a few white bells

The first time I saw a blanket of these little white flowers in the wood years ago - I came home and embroidered them onto our pillow cases!

All very lovely and fresh and new.

However, as I said, last week we were in the midst of winter so it was lovely to spend a day making little purses in the workshop.

 

Our next low key workshop like this is on Wednesday 6th June when we will be making little hanging pillows - great for little gifts which can be personalised any way you want.

 

Finally it's May!

Lambs are still being fed, we're still waiting for calves to be born, but May certainly has a softer feel to it after being buffeted around by April.  Jonathan and I are so tired that I put my foot down and insisted we go away for a week at the end of the month - so we have a week in Cornwall to look forward to.

We danced for May Day, which was good fun, and then I decided I really had to go up to the woods to see how the Bluebells are.  I had read my cousin Jen's blog (Freshwinds) where she took some lovely photos of the Bluebell woods in Sussex, so I took my camera with me.  I know the Bluebells up in Hashams are beautiful, but didn't have time for a long walk so I went up to Rogers Wood behind the house.

I wasn't disappointed; the Bluebells were beautiful:

On the way up I saw a clump of Cowslips on the edge of  the field which surprised me

 

and once I reached the top of the lane, the brooding sky over the acres of Rape looked stunning

I also saw loads of Dead Nettles,

which, my mother told me when I was little, was where the fairies kept their dancing shoes when they slept through the day!

 

Anyway, it was a very nice walk.

Today Pitch and Stitch was very busy, with Anthea making a girly quilt for her granddaughter

and Louise finishing the stitchery she started at our workshop

The crocheted edge really finished it off.

And finally Jackie showed us the Purple and silver quilt she is making for her nephew's wedding present - they chose the colours and the design is Kaffe Fassett - he's going to be the after dinner speaker when we go to the NEC in August.

It's all very well me going for walks to look at wild flowers - I really should go out right now and sort out my wild garden!