Wolds Diary: Springtime lure of the garden

The wild flowers are in glorious bloom wherever I look. This includes in my garden! I must get out and do some gardening, and the grass already needs cutting. For the first time this year I saw butterflies in the garden.

On walks with the dogs this week I have felt very fortunate. I was in one of my favourite woods, that is owned by the Woodland Trust, in which I have never met anyone else, I was happily looking around when I heard the unmistakable noise of a woodpecker hammering on a tree.

I went to investigate, with my Staffie on a lead, and no sooner had I narrowed the area down, then another started behind me and yet another a bit further on. I was so entranced with them and was trying to see them, when my Doberman/Sharpei cross, Looroll, spotted a squirrel in a nearby tree.

Now Looroll has a thing about squirrels and is under the impression that she is able to catch them. She is a large dog but does not understand why she cannot climb trees. This does not stop her trying, however. I managed to untangle myself from the lead, and rescue her from all of four foot up a tree, and eventually managed to calm her down by which time the squirrel was long gone, thankfully.

The wood is a very muddy place, and I was glad I had worn wellies. Once home the dogs needed a clean-up. So did I, as I had tripped on a stray bramble and fallen into the mud but no harm was done. Thankfully I have a good washing machine.

On Tuesday I drove over to Sewerby to The Grange Hotel and gave a talk to the Probus Club and their ladies there. On the way, as I approached Bridlington, I saw the most magnificent peregrine falcon sitting calmly on a fence post by the road.

Once at the lunch, I was made most welcome and it was a delicious meal with great company, and one lady even gave me a super little sewing box, where I can store my cottons on the top. They were a great audience and laughed rather a lot.

The next evening I went to a rather different event at Thorp Audlin, a charming village near Wakefield. On the way, there was a massive hold-up near Shiptonthorpe, with ambulances rushing towards it, so I took the long way round. It is for such eventualities that I allow plenty of time to get anywhere.

It was a dinner party at a private house where my delightful hosts, Chris and Lynn, were entertaining friends and hoped I might help. The company was superb. I also met their two delightful dogs.

The next evening, I made it to a rehearsal of the Celebra-tion Singers, for the songs we are singing for the Flying Man Concert on May 5. I need to do some work on a couple of them but the other numbers are old friends of mine.