April Full Moon

I have had a fascination with the moon recently. Each month I look forward to seeing the full moon. I took these moon photos at around 10.00pm last night. They were taken through a window with my digital camera and the man in the house opposite watching me from a downstairs window probably wondering what I was taking photos of!

I would love to own a professional camera one day and capture the true beauty of what I saw rather than a snapshot.

The moon was soft and beautiful last night with a golden glow. The clouds that formed around it gave an air of mystique. Sadly no foxes were to be seen last night but the water I had put out for them had disappeared and plenty of pots had been knocked over so I guess they came out whilst I was in slumber.

Around 6.00pm this evening this little cub came to see what I was doing. He then sat and scratched his ear with his back leg, hence his back leg being up in the air! I will try to see if I can photo the cubs at night again. I may be up all night!

Fox Cub Update

Yesterday afternoon there were two little foxy faces peering out at me from under the junk pile. Luckily my husband and son were around to witness them.

Later that evening, just outside my dining room window I had the pleasure of seeing not one, or two, or three or four or five but SIX fox cubs playing out in my garden! It really was a wonderful sight.

Why did this event have to happen just as we get chickens again? Anyway, there is no way that my hens will be free ranging for a very long while to come. I just can't risk it. I won't disturb the cubs, or feed them but I have left some water nearby. I hope that they quickly grow into adulthood and move on. Then I will clear my recycling pile so that foxes won't be able to set up home again.

I tried to get some night time pictures of the cubs but they didn't come out clearly. I will try again tonight by the light of the full moon. Did you know that this moon is called the 'egg' moon? How very appropriate now that one of my hens has started to lay!

Tuesday Garden Rake No.4

You never know what you may find in the garden. Whilst emptying some vegetable peelings in the green recycling bin and under the canopy of the huge stockpile of recyclable goods we have accumulated, I heard a scrabbling about noise.

Out from the pile of old lawn mowers, the barbecue and assorted piles of tat, appeared the sweetest face. A little fox cub had come to see what I was doing. I rushed inside to get my camera and he was waiting for me.

After a couple of flashes of the camera he decided that he was better off within the confines of the recycling mountain and off he went.

Inside the greenhouse a pane of glass has been missing for a couple of years.

Its disappearance was caused by giant firework. You can see the scale of it next to the broom.

After much sweeping of glass the greenhouse is fit for use again (after we have replaced the pane)!

Outside the greenhouse is a nice little secluded area. I plan to smarten this up and read lots of books and eat lots of cake until the sun goes down and then I will sit by candlelight and take in the sounds and sights of the night until I am too sleepy to stay out!

This beefsteak tomato will be going into the greenhouse as soon as I have placed and sorted out the grow bags.

Some of the climbing french beans are in place and ready to wind their way up the canes.

Geraniums and verbenas should add a lovely splash of colour to the garden before too long.

A teeny tiny pear has formed beneath the blossom. I think it is going to be a good year for pears!

My dwarf Victoria plum has a minuscule plum right in the centre of the blossom.

The wisteria is in bud and about to bloom over the next week or so.

After the shock of seeing the fox cub I was equally shocked to find the first egg in the coop today! It weighs 30g and is not a bad size for a first one. Now, I wonder which hen laid it? I think it was probably the Hertfordshire Honey White as she was in the coop this morning.

What have you been up to in the garden this week?

Pussycat, Pussycat, Where Have You Been?

Gizmo didn't come home on Thursday night.

I was worried as we have a lot of foxes in our neighbourhood and the one above had been hanging around my house all night.

Thursday had been a gloriously sunny day.

Even the weeds looked cheerful.

The wild flowers were wild with happiness!

Gizmo had been happy too.

He had a bit of a joy ride in an old toy car.

He closed his eyes and dreamed of being a teenage rebel.

Naughty, naughty Gizmo. He did not return home until the next day, until I had printed off MISSING posters and shed a tear and trekked around the local area at 6.00am.

He was none the worse for his nighttime jaunt just very subdued and sleepy.

He made himself a comfortable 'nest' beneath the trees in a woody area of the garden .

He pulled a funny face. 'Look Mum! See how far I can put my head back!'

Typical teenager. Partying all night. Sleeping all day. It is so good to have him back.

Tuesday Garden Rake No. 3

It has been an extremely productive week here in the garden. Grass has been cut, hen house has been assembled, weeds have been pulled and much tidying up has been achieved. There is still much to be done.

An abundance of seeds have been sown and are now germinating all over the place!

The lily of the valley is spreading and tiny flower heads are beginning to appear.

Close up of a leaf on my climbing Compassion rose.

Reds and yellows against a blue sky.

The Tayberry is coming into leaf.

Nettles have been submerged into rainwater to make a plant food. Find out how to do it here and here.

Pesky snails who eat my crops but don't they have beautiful shell markings?

Glossy berries shining out below the leaves.

Golden yellow flowers.

Lemon yellow flowers.

Pieris , a year round interesting plant with its colourful foliage and clusters of milky white flowers.

One of the blueberries 'Brigitta' coming into flower.

I took the above pictures over several days at different times of day. The potted pear tree in the first photo is now covered in white flowers. I was expecting the pear blossom to smell beautiful but it smells rotten!!! Has anyone else noticed this with pear blossom or have I just got a dodgy tree?!!!!

Our Daily Bread

Today was a little more overcast than it has been lately so I took the chance to catch up on some ironing and bake some bread.

Granary Rolls

500g/ 1lb 2oz granary bread flour

25g/1oz butter

1 and 1/4 tsp salt

7g packet of easy bake yeast

275ml/9 fl oz warm water

2tsp sugar

1. Mix together the flour, salt and sugar in a bowl, rub in butter and stir in the yeast.

2.Stir in the water and mix by hand.

3.Turn out onto a floured surface and knead by hand for about 10 minutes.

4. Shape the dough into a large round, put back into bowl and cover with a damp tea towel. Leave in a warm place for about 1 to 2 hours until doubled in size.

5.Take dough out onto floured surface and knead again for about 10 minutes.

Pre-heat the oven to 230 degrees C (450 F, Gas Mark 8)

6. Shape into 6 rolls and space out on a floured baking sheet. Cover with damp tea towel again and leave to rise for 10 minutes.

7. Uncover the rolls and bake in the oven for about 15 minutes. They should sound hollow when tapped underneath.

The recipe above is from the back of the Hovis bread flour packet but I used allinson easy bake yeast instead of Hovis fast action bread yeast. I changed the method and cooking times to suit the rolls and allowed the dough to rise twice rather than once as suggested on the packet.

Friday Cake Bake No.12 and a Little Eggstra!

I am so pleased to be back! I had a couple of days blogging break and then I lost my Internet connection!!! I have so much catching up to do. Anyway, here we are back to the Friday Cake Bake. Today I made a Lemon Tart from the Wholefood Harvest Cookbook by Rachel Hunt and Paula Cloonan. It has a wholemeal pastry base and is filled with ground almonds (sorry Lyn!), Muscovado sugar, butter, lemons rind and eggs and topped with lemons cooked in Demerara sugar and water and the water/sugar syrup poured over the whole thing.

I haven't made it before and am looking forward to eating it chilled from the fridge. I get through a lot of eggs with my Friday Cake Bake and general cooking so I invited some Hens to stay to supply me with lots of lovely eggs!

This hen is a Mimram Magpie. She is very inquisitive and talkative!

The youngster above is a Hertfordshire Honey White. She is a little nervous and I expect she is the baby of the group.

A beautiful St Pauls Walden Sussex (sounds posh eh?)

Last but not least the Bendish Blue who has lovely soft blue/grey feathers. They have settled in nicely and made themselves at home.

Here they are all together having a communal dust bath! They haven't been named yet but I have a few ideas in mind. Any suggestions on what to call them will be most welcome.

Have a lovely weekend. Hopefully I'll be spending mine in the garden and will report back for Tuesday's Garden Rake! x