Sunday 10 May 2020

Magical















Greetings friends, I hope this finds you well. It's like summer here, long, warm, sunny days, light evenings, roses blooming, so many roses, and garden picnics everywhere. VE Day was lovely I thought, despite everything. There's a lot more interaction between neighbours these days which is nice.

Lots more gardening time for many people too, I've been loving dog walks around the place, admiring front gardens. The local garden shop has managed to stay open and it's doing good trade in everything.

The blue tits in the nest box have babies and are busy, busy, busy whipping about the place finding little juicies for them to eat. And the other evening the middle boy and I stood in his room at the top of the house watching and listening to a blackbird on a neighbouring aerial, singing his heart out.  After a while, another blackbird flew to an aerial over the road and joined in. The sun was setting and it was absolutely magical. Although of course they were probably yelling things like, 'Put one feather over my side of the street and I WILL BREAK YOU' and 'Come on then if you think you're hard enough.'

Did anyone read that piece on the BBC News website about how well honey production is going in France? I just tried to find it again to link to it, but I couldn't locate it. But apparently bees are producing masses more honey during lockdown than they usually do. The beekeepers think it's because spraying of 'weeds' with chemicals to kill them has stopped, so there are more flowers. Also there's less pollution than normal. It was lovely to hear, and I hope that somehow chemical use can be reduced in the future. At least now they have evidence of one of the benefits.

Has anyone tried a home haircut yet? The urchins' barnets are heading out of control. I have dog-grooming scissors and I've volunteered my services. No takers yet, but it's only a matter of time. I reckon I'll crack the littlest boy first. He has fine, floppy hair that hangs down and it's pretty much in his eyes now. The other two have curly wiry hair that grows straight outwards, so it's not quite as annoying and providing they don't look in any mirrors they're fine.

And then there's the dog himself. Persuading him to sit still will be the trick. There are only so many sausages you can hand out at a time. I've seen the occasional dog who has had half a haircut for just this reason.

Everyone is still into magic around here. Coins have been introduced alongside cards. The middle boy turned a big clump of dust into a £2 coin yesterday which was brilliant. He says he is keeping all the dust in his room and will gradually magically transform it into money. I'll let you know how it goes.

Look after yourselves my lovelies, I hope it's a good week for you. CJ xx

17 comments:

  1. Lovely photo's CJ as always. Love the one with the handstand and the dog with the collar of shame. VE Day was quiet for us as we don't live in the main village but we did get to see the red arrows fly over as they returned to Lincoln which was the highlight of our day.

    Mx

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good luck with the haircuts. I’m struggling just to trim my fringe these days, definitely wonky. Your blackbirds sound a delight. We have a rather fluffed up Robin entertaining us at the moment. There is clearly a nest behind the jasmine and Mr Fluff is back and forwards all the time with little morsels. Such a glorious time of year and good to hear about the bees. B x

    ReplyDelete
  3. A most enjoyable post and lovely pictures. I had a haircut just before it all started so I'll be okay for a while.
    Thanks, and you too. xx

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh isn't it all so beautiful! All that birdsong and the bees doing their thing too. Long hair is in this season, even for dogs I believe so no worries there, it probably helps with all the magic too. x

    ReplyDelete
  5. Lovely to see your photos and read your updates... can’t wait to hear how the turning dust into money goes! Funnily enough no one here wants me to cut their hair either!

    ReplyDelete
  6. The flowers look magical, the lighting also. The Littlest boy jumping over things and doing handstands is pretty magical as well. I have plenty of dust here in case you need more.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh my goodness CJ, I get such a good laugh from your posts! Too funny! You're right, the youngest will crack first but the older ones will be watching closely. Although I feel you could start with the dog just to get your eye in ;o)
    Thanks for the wander around the neighbourhood and the flowers - all so very pretty and lush.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Great action photos - very impressive handstand! I cut my fringe yesterday as the highland cow look was getting a little too annoying. It's not the straightest but at least I can see out now. I enjoyed VE Day too. People were having street parties, all sitting in their gardens when we went for our walk. Great neighbourly atmosphere. Good luck with the dust alchemy. Do let me know if it works, I've a potential fortune behind the sofa! xx

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi CJ, beautiful Spring photos. It is Autumn here in New Zealand, but also feels like Summer. I love the idea of saving dust and converting it into money, I could make a fortune! Looking forward to your next post xx

    ReplyDelete
  10. ooh, dust bunny money! what a fantastic idea, there are fortunes to be made in our house! Seeing as how we were halfway through a central heating repair involving lifted floors pre-lockdown, there's little point in dusting when all we have is bare concrete that just makes more mess. My husband shaved off all his hair - he meant to just clip, but the length guide on the clippers lied. I nearly had heart failure when he emerged from the bathroom. Beware of lying clippers is all I can say.

    ReplyDelete
  11. We have blackbirds serenading us every time that we are working on the allotment. As for hair being cut - soon Martyn and I will have hairstyles reminiscent of the seventies.

    ReplyDelete
  12. That is one acrobatic boy you have, or is that two of them? Poor Bertie.. can't he go out walking without the cone of shame? :-) I enjoyed all your Spring floral photos.. and the story of extra honey being produced due to the lack of sprays. I have always detested the idea of spraying poison all about. Stay well.. we are doing good here. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

    ReplyDelete
  13. I've got some dust, please may I borrow the boy when it's permitted, I could use so £2 coins. Stunning pictures, all the flowers come so fast now. Enjoy the wonderful May weather.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Can I send you some of my dust? Happy to go halves with the junior on the dust to money conversion...
    Richard had his hair trimmed by Annie. He looked a bit scary with the wild beard being longer than the hair. Not in a hipster kind of cool way I should add. She offered to cut the boys hair but I am not letting her. Better long and crazy than the keep head lice away style she has in mind. Have a lovely week xx

    ReplyDelete
  15. Yes we have tried home haircuts - Meg and I both have fringes to we resorted to dressmaking scissors but big girl has long hair and no fringe so she is doing fine. Boys though, that would be a different story. Andy has clippers and a bald head so Big girl did his all over. Definitely going to look out for a wisteria. I am loving the green in May, your photos capture it wonderfully. Jo xx

    ReplyDelete
  16. Turning dust into money sounds like a good idea - any tips gratefully received!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Ooh I like the idea of converting dust into money, I have lots I am cultivating here, perhaps he could have a cut for showing me how to do it?

    Home haircuts here are business as usual, all rather dull really as I usually cut husbands hair and both the children have long hair which I trim from time to time. I am the only one who visits an actual hairdresser and I am long over due a cut but as my hair is long it just looks a little ragged.

    Lovely to hear that bees are producing lots of honey, I do like a good news story.

    ReplyDelete