Monday 7 June 2021

Are you a lark or an owl?

For much of the year I can confidently say that I'm an owl, slow to come to my senses in the morning and wide awake at night. But for a few weeks in the summer I'm up and raring to go as the sun comes up, wandering round the garden in shoes wet with the dew or, as yesterday morning, in mac and wellingtons because there was a fine drizzle of rain. June, the most delightful month. By lunchtime the rain had stopped. Friends came in the afternoon and we sat in the sunshine for afternoon tea and caught up on our news. (News! What news? We have been nowhere and done nothing for months!)



















While strawberries are the favourite fruit of Pascale, whose blog is Le Jardin de Pacalou, mine are cherries. There are plenty in the shops just now. I make a chocolate and cherry cake filled with cherry jam and a sprinkling of frozen stoned cherries. (Fresh cherries I just greedily save for myself!)










A generous layer of cream on top of the fruit and it is good to go.














I praised the free-range eggs of Jack, the local farmer, in a recent post. At the weekend when I went to collect some more I learnt that a fox had come in broad daylight and killed thirty of his hens. The foxes are very active at this time of year, presumably with young to feed. But really, although they are lovely looking creatures, they are vicious and just love a killing spree. I would keep ducks again if I thought for one moment that I could keep them safely in the garden. We had Khaki Campbell ducks when our children were small, sweet natured pets and prolific egg layers, all killed by a fox on the one night that I forgot to shut their hut. There were tears all round!

Wee One and the ducks were good models for my illustration work!























Morning walk  with the camera around the garden.































































It is great growing weather. The spuds are looking promising in the veg garden - now that's a sight to gladden a Murphy's heart!



19 comments:

  1. Replies
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  2. I agree with Tom.
    ps have made a follow up comment on last post.

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  3. I am more of a lark (married to an owl!). Oh, how I love seeing your garden! I keep a few backyard hens, but years ago we had two runner ducks. I desperately wanted it to work, but one duck was killed by something and the other died for some other unknown reason. Your illustration is lovely! -Jenn

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    1. I'm an owl married to a lark!
      Indian runner ducks have been described as hock bottles on legs and I think they look charming. I have a very soft spot for ducks.

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  4. I would love an early morning walk around your lovely garden (or any time come to that).

    How awful for the farmer to lose so many hens.

    Used to keep hens, ducks and turkeys when Max and I were on our 5 acre property. Luckily no foxes here.

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    1. I can be philosophical about killing for food but marauding through the hens just for fun is awful.

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  5. I am more of an owl but the sight of your morning garden does gladden my eye!

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    1. When I do get up early I always ask myself why I don't do it more often. But unless there is the promise of good weather, forget it!

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  6. Replies
    1. At this time of year and with such beautiful weather it is a joy, Colette.

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  7. Replies
    1. Sorry about that - the first bit of my reply was meant to test whether I'd be able to comment today. Yesterday, I tried several times but always got an error message (not on other blogs, only here).

      I guess I am a mix of lark and owl: Can be a lark when I have something nice planned, but more of an owl when after a long day at work I feel I need a bit more time to myself before going to bed.

      Your garden is wonderful, as is your illustration!

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    2. I don't know what went amiss with my blog but thank you for persevering.
      A mixture of lark and owl sounds good. When I was working I often worked into the night after the children were in bed. Unfortunately I couldn't lie in in the morning as I had to get them ready for school!

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  8. I am a lark but as I get used to retirement I am becoming more of an owl. Never too late to change! Maybe more a bit of each like Librarian.

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    1. PS I have added a comment on your previous post in response to Tasker and yourself!

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    2. Hello Rachel, and happy retirement - now you can do whatever you please!

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  9. Your gardens look beautiful and so does that cake!!! I'm so sad to hear about those ducks...how sad that was for all of you back then! I think I'm a lark! :)

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    1. Rain, I know how much you value the space all around you, so you can imagine the delight my garden gives me at this time of year. (And the cake did taste good!)

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