My first blog of the year - Saturday, 12 February 2011

First of all, a very belated HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I haven’t been a well woman so far this year! After a traumatic family incident at Christmas which took me back to the UK on an emergency ferry dash, I was very tired and on 2 January, returned to Brittany with a chest infection which I haven’t been able to shift. I’ve had two different types of antibiotics, steroids, nebulizer treatment and finally ended up still with the infection, but also with candida from the antibiotics. Six weeks on, I still have the chest infection and no-one, not even the lung specialist, knows what to give me because of the candida. I am very tired and can’t do anything without feeling exhausted. I do hope this resolves itself soon, as I’m absolutely fed up with feeling below par, having no energy and not being able to play bowls. Also I need to be really well for my mini gastric by pass operation in March/April – provided they approve me at their meeting at the beginning of March. Right, moan over.

 
Primroses are flowering in the garden, joining blue periwinkle and pink bergenia blossom. I can’t believe how the honeysuckle is leafing up and there's already a 30cm cube of delphinium shoots and leaves.

It has been really cold this year, but the last few days have seen temperatures around 12°C and even a little sunshine. We are running late cutting the large hedge behind the main flower border, but should start in about ten days, hopefully before too many plants are growing where the ladder has to stand.

My hens had all given up laying completely when I went back to Cornwall immediately after Christmas, but about ten days ago they started producing eggs again, and I am now getting a reasonable amount – enough to supply friends again.

You can see that there are two smaller white eggs, which I think must be from the hens born from the eggs we hatched here late last summer.  They must just be coming into lay now.

On Monday, I am hopefully taking delivery of three Shetland/Araucana crosses, who will brighten up my egg basket with their greeny blue eggs. I am quite excited about this and do hope they arrive, as promised, and then settle in well.

The bird table has been well attended and I had one visitor which I had never seen feeding there before. The photo isn’t brilliant as I didn’t dare risk getting out of my chair on the other side of the sitting room.

A lovely nuthatch.  I was delighted as normally I can only see them on the oak tree trunk too far from the house to see them well.

And lastly, a photo of me, which a distant family member sent me recently. It was taken years ago, but I think I still look like this – I may be kidding myself!

Although it's in black and white it's really not that long ago!