No Coat Needed

What a glorious morning for the dog walk.

I awoke early to bright sunshine.

After coffee, ciggie and clearing card box it was off out with the dogs. I didn't want a jacket but have no suitable pockets in these jeans for the necessary pooper scooper. So I managed to loop one of the dog leads around it and off we went.

It's amazing what a drop of rain and a lot of spring sunshine can achieve. The verges seem to have shot up in the last week or so, including ours at the bottom of the long bank. Unfortunately when Paul wanted to strim it last week he discovered that a wee beastie had gnawed a hole in the petrol strimmer's fuel tank!

The cherry and crab-apple blossom is in its full glory - I think it's the best I have seen it since we moved up here. Most of the trees are in full leaf already - several weeks earlier than previous years. The blackthorns were covered in blossom a couple of weeks ago and it is only a matter of days now before the hawthorns follow suit.

The shrubs in the garden are also starting to flower, and I am already too late to do any serious work in the high bank as the footholds have disappeared under fresh vegetation.

My topsoil has not arrived yet but Margaret phoned yesterday to say it was not forgotten. A machinery breakdown meant that Clive was not able to get it last week but hopefully will early this.

In the meantime I have progressed on to the herb bed running alongside the path at the back of the sunroom. Day 1 saw slow progress as the number of small/medium stones and type 1 gravel meant I could not get the trowel into it very easily. Day 2 and I had a revelation - my sister had bought me one of those no-bending multi-pronged gadgets that you twist many years ago that I had never had a suitable use for, but it was absolutely perfect for this job. I progressed about four times as fast as day one, and it should get finished this afternoon.