Sue Woodcock: Sun shines on my four-legged visitors who come to explore

I am not hopeful of her actually raising any chicks but time will tell.

I have had to be ruthless and put poison down for the rats that are breeding in alarming numbers. They do kill young birds and decimate any food in the store if they can.

I have appreciated the warm weather and on a wander down to the mire I observed all sorts of lovely flowers shyly peeking out from among the reeds.

The dogs love it down there as they come across the most exciting smells. The sheep find sweet grasses there too. The moisture in the ground and vegetation makes it cooler for them and it is always soft underfoot.

On a glorious summer’s day, my godson, Brian Moles, played an organ recital on the Harrison and Harrison organ recently restored at St Peter’s Church in nearby Hebden.

He came with his extended family and their dog, Tara, (who used to be one of mine). Good food, good company, good music and fond memories shared made for a memorable afternoon.

The weekly quiz was quite an international gathering and afterwards, Paddy, the pub border collie, and the two black cats came home with me while their owners went for a short holiday.

The cats are secreted in my front bedroom where they sulk and look outraged but are gradually relaxing. Paddy, who is a great character, settled down straight away and has found Boo is game for chasing round the fields. They come in panting and exhausted for a short break before resuming their game.

A couple recently arrived in the dale came up with their nine-month-old border collie bitch, Tess, to see if she might fit in for a few days later this month while they go down south for a family function.

It didn’t take Tess long to learn her place in the pecking order or to discover the dog food bowl where she devoured as much as she could before the others got it. My lot are used to new dogs coming to stay and calmly accepted her.

Our rehearsal this week for Buckden Singers was at Hubberholme church. The TV programme, The Dales, had asked to come and film us to see if they could include us in their series.

We assembled in the evening sunshine and began a normal rehearsal before they arrived but quickly changed to some music that we don’t sing too badly when they finally got there.

They interviewed several of the choir members and filmed our not-so-glorious attempts to master an Abba medley. It was a dreadful rehearsal and our leader got quite concerned, but in the run-up to any concert, there is always at least one bad rehearsal.

Driving back down the dale, the meadow sweet was wafting its delicious scent into the car as well as a myriad of midges and all down the roadside this wonderful plant was in full bloom.

Midges don’t find me particularly tasty but everyone else seemed to get badly bitten even in the short time before they got in their cars to drive home.

It was one of those still, balmy nights with a slight haze but still the scenery was spectacular. The subtle hues of grey and green made the whole dale look like a superb painting.

On my fields there are several curlews nesting and they have taken to flying quite close to the house. This enables me to watch them in sheer admiration at quite close quarters.

They are big birds with a long curving beak that fascinates me.

Haymaking is in full swing and fields of newly-cut grass stand proud and yellow against the darker green of fields left uncut. It is like a tapestry or collage criss-crossed by the ever present drystone walls.

Tractors towing hay bobs and wrappers are frequent traffic on the lanes, even into the night.