Friday, 18 March 2011

Unicycles and roses, curlews and foraging







Life is full of interest and surprises, isn't it?
I managed to bring one of my old English roses with me - William Lobb, and old English moss rose; he is plated in a sunny spot in my new garden and seems to be quite happy there. I have put in some other bits I brought with me/had posted up, so have sweet violets, snowdrops, my precious oxlips, primrose, cowslip, pulmonaria, and a big strong comfrey plant to start off the home made plant-food production here. The veg plot is being dug over by OH, and looking good - the soil looks really lovely - very dark, and has obviously been cultivated for a good part of the several hundred years - the house I believe dates from the late 17 hundreds. I've started basil, tomatoes and chillies indoors, sorted my seeds and am ready to get sowing soon - the weather makes it, in my estimation, about 3 weeks later than Dorset up here, but no matter, all part of life's learning curve.


I was walking past a shop this afternoon on the way here, and a poster caught my eye, I stopped to read it and it was describing a circus event that is going to be happening shortly. The door to the shop opened and out came a lad on a unicycle - not sure if he was to actually do with the said circus or not, but he jumped on and whizzed off down the pavement - very impressive lol


Last Sunday, we went out for a drive just into the Dales National Park, and were rewarded with a wonderful sighting of a large curlew just sat on a rock, quite close to the road in a field we apssed - we got a good study of him for about 5 minutes before he ambled off; we saw oyster catchers, mallard, gulls and a lone peewit (lapwing) too, and a very beautiful pair of Grey Lag geese.
I read in the local paper this morning of plans to plant young native trees along a new cycle/footpath way further down the town towards the river. Great news, especially as rowans and hazels are among them - thoughts of future foraging to the fore lol