We were very lucky as it was a lovely sunny day here yesterday. Tom and I took all three dogs out for a walk in the morning and walked part of the London Loop which is near us through woods and farmland. We have walked this walk for 15 years and would hardly ever meet another person. Not yesterday it was packed, joggers, boys on mountain bikes, familys and walkers marching along with Nordic poles. I nearly fell out with one woman who shoved little Cassie with her Nordic pole as we passed on the path and said "Ugh I have an aversion to terriers!" Poor little Cassie is the sweetest little dog, wags her tail all round the walk just trotting along. She didn't seem bothered but it took all my strength not to tell the woman were to shove her pole! In the end we went off down a little footpath off the main route between two fields, which was much nicer and after that we really enjoyed the walk. Although Tom and I both agreed after it that Tess does find these walks with all the dogs very stressful and it may be kinder to walk them separately. She just worries too much the whole time that Layla may possibly stray and sees it as her job to herd her back. In the end we walked nearly five miles yesterday and the dogs slept for the rest of the day!
After lunch I spent the afternoon trying to sort out the end of the garden. I have been saving all the old parts of wall and flint stones that I have dug up around the garden and want to make a rockery with them. Rockery is a bit of a posh word for what really is just an arrangement of old stones! Still I wanted to try and incorporate them in the garden in some way. The old parts of the walls still have the ancient concrete mix holding the stones together. They are typical of some of the old walls around the area that are hundreds of years old so I think they should be preserved. While I was hosing them down and cleaning them up before I put them in place I kept thinking of the man who made the wall all those years ago. If only he could have known his work would still be in place all these years later. I have planted a few small box plants my Dad gave me and have a new alpine plant to put in also. I'm looking forward to finding more to put in between the stones.
After I had finished I sat on the seat at the end of the garden under the cherry tree with a cup of tea admiring my pile of old rocks! All I could hear were bees buzzing in the blossom it was lovely. One of the magpies flew in and hopped into it's nest. I thought they have chosen a nice spot to sit in the sun while the eggs are incubating. You cant see the magpie but it is sitting in there.
In the evening we had a really nice roast dinner, then watched Harry Potter relaxing with a glass, or two, of wine. I was so tired and aching from my walking and rock lifting I struggled to raise the glass but I still enjoyed the day very much.
I don't think the magpies will be enjoying the sun today. It is freezing with a cold wind blowing. We are going to check our caravan where it is stored, which I'm looking forward to but feel a bit nervous as because of lockdown we haven't been near it for months and months. Fingers crossed all is OK with it. I hope everyone has a lovely Bank Holiday Monday what ever your plans. xx
