Seville orange marmalade on the way

Sevilles in the pan at last! Jars of lovely marmalade only hours away...

Blackberry vodka in the making September 11

April 2011 Bluebells in Berkshire

The weekend

Have had all the children, and Sky, here virtually all weekend and it's been great. Sky has been to various parks 5 times and everyone who has taken her out has had a lovely time. She's learned to say "Truffle" really well. Also, when she thinks she's done something wrong she says, in a very disapproving tone: "Oh, SKY!" Except that she can't pronounce "k" so it comes out "Oh, Shy!". Very sweet. We're all in love. Would post a pic of her but G not keen. Only other thing worth mentioning is that I planted 2 rhubarb plants and a row of peas. Then let the hens out and half an hour later all the plants had been eaten. It's hens or garden.

Cherry in Golders Hill Park Mar 11

Seasonal sights

Rhubarb in my kitchen Jan 11

Garrya catkins in Dyne Rd NW6 Feb 11

Chicken feed

A very close shave with a fox has curtailed the range of our two hens, Chick Pea and Runner Bean. The rule used to be that they could have the run of the garden as long as we were either out there with them or in the kitchen, close by. But then there was the heart-stoppingly scary encounter with a fox and now they're allowed out only if one of us or Truffle, our dog, is "henherding". So, what happened? I hear you ask. 

Well, first I heard absolutely hysterical squawking, much worse than when Truffle takes a too close interest in their bottoms, and everything went into slow motion, like it does in a crisis. I glanced towards the deck to see this huge, very bright and bushy-tailed fox - clearly not a bit in need of sustenance - literally on top of Chick Pea about to go in for the kill. I shouted, it seemed very slowly, "No-o-o-o-o-o-o!" and moved, like a moon walker in lead boots, towards the back door, wrenched it open and chased off the fox.

By now everything was at normal speed again, except the fox, which was moving quite fast, and my heartbeat which was threatening to give me a stroke. No sign of CP, but I had the vague impression she may have run into the kitchen. RB was pecking nonchalantly down by their coop. The fox had by now alighted on our neighbour's shed and was lying there, looking at me insouciantly. I believe I may have shaken my fist at it.

I secured RB in the coop and moved back towards the house, looking for CP. No sign. Kitchen - no sign. I glanced up and saw her huddled against the front door, as far away from the garden as she thought it was possible to get, not having considered upstairs, thank goodness (think of the poo on the stairs!). By the time I got near she'd disappeared again but I found her cowering behind the waste-paper basket under the hall table. Picking her up, heroically thinking I wouldn't mind how soggy with blood and other goo she might be, I was surprised to find no sign of injury and we both stood in the hall for a few minutes, me hugging her, waiting for our heartbeats to return to something like normal. Having heard hens could die of shock, I braced myself the next morning when going to collect the eggs but no, there she was, happy as a hen who's forgotten all about the most exciting thing that had happened to her in her life. To date.