Wolds Diary: Winged watchers bring joy to gardening between downpours

I could have done without that but the snow has been frequently intermittent with fine weather, hail, rain and cold winds. Later in the week I got another three clematis, two red and one purple, to add to the display along the fence and so far they seem to have taken.

I’m digging out my vegetable patch, which was rather weed covered. As I dug I noticed a pair of robins sitting on the wall beside me, and the moment I stopped moving they flew down and selected beaks full of worms and other small creatures, flew off and returned for more.

They are obviously feeding young and every time I go out and dig it must be like a free takeaway. They are so tame now they sit impatiently near or even on my Wellington boots for the next area of soil to be disturbed.

There are also two pairs of blackbirds who have cottoned on to the activity and are keen to feed, but only from a distance. Whenever it rains, which seems to be pretty often, they fly down and remove any worms that are coming to the surface on either my lawn or vegetable patch.

I am so delighted at the presence of these birds I tend to get a bit distracted and have to pause frequently to accommodate them.

I went to sit with my poorly friend on the Tuesday afternoon, while his wife returned to the dentist.

Later that evening I went to talk to the Bridlington Writers group, and found them to be a very interesting company who were wanting to know how and why I write, and what motivates me to do so.

One lady had also expressed an interest in the patchwork quilts I produce from all the ties I acquire, so I pulled the only complete one I have off the bed in the spare bedroom and took it with me to show her. It was covering quite large area of the tables and several folk asked a lot of questions about it.

I was also privileged to talk to some of the group and even read an excellent poem written by one gentleman about Bridlington that not only made me laugh but was scarily true about some matters. Then the tea and coffee was made and the refreshments superb. I drove back home in a very relaxed mood.

I went to the annual parish council meeting on the Wednesday evening. This was actually three meetings rolled into one evening and it went quite smoothly. We re-elected our superb churchwarden, and other posts were filled for the running of church business, but there are still vacancies.

Until I joined my first Parochial Church Council I had no idea just what is involved in the running of even a parish church. A lot of hard work and dedication is contributed from those who love the church.

I have taken the dogs out during the week and tried to dodge the worst of the showers. They have had a lot of fun playing in the garden now the lawn is mowed.

While I have been out and about I have delighted in the huge swathes of blue from the bluebells in the woods and on one walk I even discovered thousands of cowslips in bloom. I have always had a great fondness for cowslips and remember my excitement as a child when I found some.

Also growing in the woods is wild garlic, which I know as ramsons, and which add a rather fresh but delicate aroma to the air as you walk along. I actually have some growing in my garden and at the appropriate time of year I pick the leaves and eat them.

I have some lovely neighbours. One is a wonderful gardener and gave me some courgette seeds to put into the vegetable patch at the appropriate time.

Another donated some wood from an apple tree that I can use.

To cap off the week, on Saturday I did the scoring for the cricket club, at the very splendid pitch at Stamford Bridge, where the players dodged vicious showers to take some wickets.