Wolds Diary: Rich pickings and walks in the country come rain or shine

When it is warm and dry it is heaven. When it is wet and not so warm there are always plenty of other things to do. On Sunday I made it to church and there were enough of us to form a small choir and we managed to sing an anthem.

The dogs and I have had some very pleasant walks and they have enjoyed sniffing at enticing aromas as we go on our way. My Doberman/Sharpei cross, Looroll, is quite insistent on investigating every whiff as we proceed and it means that sometimes a walk will take much longer than I anticipated.

On another occasion I was walking the two older dogs, having done a long walk with the younger ones. I went up a track and there was a landscape gardener clearing a garden. By the side of the track was an old fence, rolled up, that looked as if it was going to be destined for the tip. I commented on this and the owner of the garden asked me if I wanted it. I admitted I could find a use for it and arranged to call back later and collect it. When I did so I thanked him and in return I donated him a copy of one of my books.

The next morning I went and helped my friend again with picking some of the fruit in her large garden. I spent a happy couple of hours picking gooseberries and then redcurrants, finishing with a few raspberries, admitting to her that I had eaten a few of those and she kindly gave me more to take home with me.

There is nothing, so far as I am concerned, better than the taste of fresh fruit and vegetables eaten almost immediately after being picked.

The diet I am on means that I am eating lots of fruit and vegetables at the moment, and I revel in fresh food. I think that my eating habits may change, for the better, permanently.

On the Wednesday I had been invited to speak to the Probus Group, here in Pocklington. They meet at our local, rather fine, masonic hall, and it is not often I can walk to such an engagement as I did on this occasion.

When I arrived they greeted me with a coffee and I actually knew quite a few of the members already. They laughed in all the right places and seemed to enjoy the talk.

I then walked back home, taking time to admire some of the gardens en-route, which I seldom do as I usually drive down that road on my way further afield.

I spent the Thursday morning with friends in a neighbouring village.

The lady of the house was running a holiday club for the village children and needed someone to be there for her husband, in case he needs assistance. On this occasion he needed nothing of the sort and was having a very good day and we had a fascinating discussion about time he had spent in Africa as a geological mapper in the past.

The next day it rained all day. It had been quite accurately forecast so I found things to do inside for most of the day. I needed to keep busy as recently I have been quite distressed that someone who I thought I knew appears to be going through some sort of breakdown, and is becoming most unpleasant but will not accept help at all and thinks everyone else is to blame. There is nothing I can do to help and I do hope that when they are better they can mend things, but I doubt it.

On the Saturday the weather was glorious, and I tackled some gardening, first in the front garden and then the side and back gardens. I planted some ornamental grasses I had been given and then two varieties of mint someone else had donated.

When I got inside I discovered that my Staffie , Brock, had worked out how to get into one of the cupboards and had helped all the dogs to a new bag of dried dog food.