Tuesday 28th April

"Be like water, taught Lao-tzu, philosopher and founder of Taosim, soft and limpid, it finds its way through, over or under any obstacle. It does not quarrel; it simply moves on.

Ruskin Bond

My computer went slow yesterday and behaved in a most odd manner but is working alright this morning so it must have been my server. Perhaps I am going a bit mad in my solitary state cooped up with a slightly mad dog ;)

Weird dreams last night, a little girl walked up to the bed, blame 'Devs' for that, then ex-husband walked through the wall and I then woke on the vision of seeing a live rat near the fireplace in the sitting room. Thank goodness it was only a dream. What else has happened, the light in Paul's study has come on a couple of times without anyone being in there and so has the heater in the en-suite bathroom, somewhere I hardly visit except to flush the loo, which has always had a bit of a problem with sticking.

Here I reside in a largish cottage, all by myself, except for animals, with a feeling of guilt at the space I occupy and a need to move on, and in the outside world a certain chaos reigns. Except there is no chaos only marvellous people coping with a pandemic, thank god for kindness.

There is a very large drive of pebbles with a turning space attached to this cottage, and of course weeds start to appear in the gravel and the little winged seeds of the sycamore spread their bounty. Think in 50 years, the drive would develop into a woodland. So I decided to spray a weed killer on the worst, though I have been weeding them by hand. Full bottle with spray in the garage, how do I use it? Yes not only am I socially inadequate but I can't work out how it works. Eventually succeed, then with hens and dog underfoot I try to spray, get rid of animals and then cover the grass I have sprayed with plastic to protect the hens.

The spurge (Euphorbia) plants fill a hole

Good things happen of course, my son has sent a second batch of chocolate (to make me fat?) my daughter has sent me 'spacemasks' for headaches. And my two magazines, Permaculture and Resurgence have dropped through the letterbox, so plenty to read.

whoops a dandelion and the hen has raked over a seedling plot

Took Lucy down Salton Lane yesterday and picked one bluebell from three different spots in the village, including my garden. You can tell the difference between the Spanish hybridised bluebell and the native one, not only by the colour but by the lipped appearance of the bell flower, they all seem native round here thank goodness.

Bad behaviour? People are starting to break out of 'lockdown' here in North Yorkshire, Malham Cove being the case in question. It is in the Yorkshire Dales and looks lovely. I can understand the frustration but not the abuse and bullying of the police, though of course the police use force as well.