There was a moment, at the start of June, when it looked like the weather would pick up and we’d have a sunny summer. Sunshine was had, for a few days, and then it settled back into clouds. Without being as dreary as it was in the winter, it still hasn’t been particularly delightful weather. On the other hand, at least it hasn’t been swelteringly hot.
It’s been good for the plants on the balcony, and in the park. The wildflowers are all blooming nicely in their planters, there are foxgloves in the park, and the strawberries are ripening. Taste delicious, too. And the bees seem happy: the hotels are just as busy as last year. Spiders keep trying to lay traps across the entrances, though. I feel bad every time I knock the webs down. Doesn’t stop me.
The birds have kept us entertained, even with their demands for refills when the feeder is empty, which seems to happen every week. Several times the robin especially has come to the open balcony door and glared at us. We’ve even had a goldfinch on the railing, though it didn’t stay long enough for the camera.
And then there’s been the occasional early morning walk around Astbury Mere, to feed the water-birds and their families. The coots definitely know what the rustle of a plastic bag means, and come running across the water. The swans and their cygnets are far more dignified, though at breakfast-time, they’re normally still on the grass.
Fairy Cake Living 