One of Those Weeks

This week I have been mostly chipping gorse. Chipping can be fun. Chipping gorse is OK but certainly not fun. Trying to chip old gorse that refuses to fit into the chipper because it is so twisted is not only not fun but also painful. I now have gorse thorns permanently embedded in my hands (they worked their way through my gloves).

Birds are becoming even more vocally evident. I saw a chaffinch on Monday and heard one in my garden today. Their song is quite easy to remember because it sounds like a cricketer running in to bowl (you have the sound of the run up and then the release of the ball). It is the wren that is dominating the airwaves though.  Wrens must be 95% lungs.

One of my neighbours has a communal sparrow box on the front of their house. It is always popular and the house sparrows are often sitting in a row on top. It was nice to see that this morning at least one has taken up full residence and nesting material is poking out of the hole.

My apricot is looking severely unwell. There was mould growing on some of the buds and a sticky secretion and no sign of blossom or leaves although the wood is healthily flexible. I think I need to face the fact that I may need to burn it all before I infect my new peach - aaaargh.

I also broke the flat head screwdriver on my leatherman yesterday. Oh the pain, oh woe is me, etc etc. It lives on my belt and is sooooooo useful. I seem to use it daily and when I think of all the uses, perhaps food preparation shouldn’t be one of them……..

Luckily it comes with a 25 year guarantee so hopefully if I send it off it maybe repaired for free but I don’t know how I will cope without it.

Ironically it broke when I was repairing something else.