The fly-hunting season has officially started . . .

 

and my lovely 1970s vine leaves flour jar paid the price . . .and for once it wasn't the naughty little St Trinian's kitten Pippi, it was Lulu - she's a bit stouter and obviously had the weight to push this onto the floor - she will have been sitting on the lid, which they are both wont to do.  I doubt I will ever find another one like it, but I'll be happy just to find a replacement that I like.  

    Today I am feeling better - I had a walk up the hill and took some wild flower photos, and have put the plants I bought on Tuesday into the oval bed I can see from the back of the kitchen.  They look lovely, especially the pinky Scabious.  Still a couple of gaps to be filled, but there will be pleasure in choosing the right plants, to flower later in the year.  

    Keith is coughing better - until he was on the antibiotics he couldn't cough properly at all.  He has walked up and down the kitchen a couple of times today too.  It's a week until we see the Dr regarding his blood pressure treatment though.  

    Today I heard a Cuckoo - I just seem to hear one a year, and just that once.  I have only ever seen one once too, that was on the marshes across the River Frome from the Granary eatery in Wareham.  I guess it was looking for a Reed Warbler's nest to lay its egg in.  How the birds we took for granted in our youth - in my mind's eye I am seeing here fields and fields spangled with Peewits (Lapwings).  Now they are rare - Red-listed - due to changes in farming practice.

    

Lady's Bedstraw

Hawthorn Blossom which we always just called "May" and my mum forbade me to bring it in the house and she considered it unlucky.  She probably didn't connect it with the crown of thorns worn by Christ, but I think that is why is is considered of ill omen.

Germander Speedwell.

Finally . . . this has been doing my head in as I try to remember what I learned in my Paleography course (one term only) in 1996 . . .

You get the idea - some words I can read reasonably easily but others!  Took me ages just to work out the word Plymouth in the first line!! Anyway, I have managed quite a lengthy list of annuitants and will tackle page 2 tomorrow, when my brain is functioning again.  The will is dated 1810 and is from my Adams family line.