Saturday 8 June 2013

The Livin' is easy.

We have now had ten days of unadulterated Summer weather - we can hardly believe it - after months of simply awful weather it is suddenly wonderful.   And I think we all feel better for it.

In the fields everything has burgeoned.   The hawthorn blossom is out and the air is full of the almondy scent;  the crab apple trees are in full bloom and as the danger of frost is more or less past then we should get a huge fruit crop; the buttercups are stunning in the pasture; in fact June is bustin' out all over.

Of course it is not all bright - such weather also increases the risk of flies and parasites in sheep so today the first lot were brought in and were dosed for worms and sprayed against flies.   They look a sorry lot as their wool is dropping off and yet try to get it off and it obviously is not yet quite ready to come away.  So back they go into the field for another fortnight or so before they are shorn.   They must feel awful with their fleeces hanging off in places.   But it does make their lambs look immaculate with their new curly coats.

In the vegetable garden everything is growing - peas, broad beans, lettuces, onions, leeks; salad leaves and beetroot just coming through and runner beans ready to be planted out. Such an exciting time in the garden - before all the hard work of picking, podding and freezing begins.   There was a lot of plum blossom so I am hoping for lots of plums for jam too.

Only two weeks to the longest day and then it is downhill again - so let's all make the most of it while it lasts.








14 comments:

Gwil W said...

Send some good weather over here. We could use it. Ironically today is the best day we've had for a while. The sun is glinting off the floodwaters. They say we're in for a mosquito plague. Thankfully I live far from the Danube. Many people have lost everything. Hungary next in line. They've called out 10,000 troops to deal with what's now on their way.

angryparsnip said...

Wonderful post today.
Thank You for the lovely photo of your garden. Please be sure to update very once in awhile so we can see the progress.

My garden is two pots of tomatoes, already with fruit, one herb pot and one with carrots. They have to be in a protected wired fenced in area because it would all be gone in a night. All the critters would have a feast. Especially my nemesis the pack rat awful critters.
I love plums. My Mum made the most wonderful Polish dishes using plums and I have a soft spot for them.

cheers, parsnip

Heather said...

Isn't it glorious? Your photos say it all. Our crab apple blossom has died off and there is promise of a big crop of tiny apples. I have spent a lovely afternoon sitting under the pergola working on my altered book.

crafty cat corner said...

Lovely photos, especially of the children with the sheep.
Briony
xx

Cloudia said...

Do enjoy the heaven you so well describe & share :-)


Aloha

Rarelesserspotted said...

Great pictures in photos and words on what's going on. Little bit cloudy and cool for us today.
xx

Em Parkinson said...

Your vegetable patch looks fantastic. How lovely to have so much room. I know what you mean about the sheep. I sometimes think they try and hide behind the gorse bushes here when they look so raggedy!

Crafty Green Poet said...

we've had wonderful weather the last week or so too! And our hawthorns are amazing! Your garden sounds very productive, here we've just got our windowsill garden, but our lettuces and coriander are foing better than ever!

jill said...

Its wonderful to see the sun Pat we sure have waited long enough for it. The Hawthorn is beautiful now it is in blossom, yes I agree June is bursting.Love Jill xx

Irene said...

I live along the river Meuse, and luckily, it is not in any danger of overflowing its banks. The weather here has been very nice as well, and we do feel blessed, plus that it is about time. I've got an American guest coming to stay and I hope the good weather continues. Bless your poor sheep!

JoAnn ( Scene Through My Eyes) said...

Oh such lovely photos - I'm glad you are having wonderful weather too. We are back to a chilly spell - but some sunshine - hopefully we'll warm back up again to the mid 70s - that is perfect. Happy Summer!

Arija said...

With our new green grass, our sheep need both drenching and crutching but will have to wait until next weekend when my grandies are back from shearing in the far-away inland.
How odd the seasons have become, my broad beans are also up and I am still waiting on the peas.Ruby chard has seeded itself. Peas and broad beans have to go in in late autumn, unfortunately it was still too dry then. In contrast to other beans, the broad beans will tolerated frost and get a great head start over the winter.

Your veggie patch looks great, neat and well tended.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Thanks for calling - do please call again.

Sage said...

beautiful photos. Glad you stopped by my blog at the Tumbleweedcrossing. I like yours. Will visit again. I have been chatting with another woman in England for over 10 years. I would love to visit there but don't thing I'll ever get there. Albuquerque is burning up right now with the drought. We have several major fires in the forests. Hope we get lots of rain soon but don't expect it. I just got a new computer and learning to use it so may not be posting much for a bit.