According to the Celtic calendar spring begins on the first of February. This is St Brigid’s day, a holiday in Ireland and it is often marked by hanging wreaths of flowers outside houses. Even older rituals involve tying coloured fabric to oak trees, possibly as native flowers are rare that early in the year. Or they were, but not so much now. The snowdrops have come and gone and we already have daffodils out in some places. Our magnolia tree is also beginning to put out blossom and it is sheltered, fortunately, from a lot of the bad weather. We are keeping our fingers crossed for some spring type weather as if this continues the new trees, especially in the orchard, could lose their flowers before they are pollinated.

It has rained every day this year so far with some areas reporting five times the usual amount. As February is generally one of the wettest months of the year anyway this means the ground is completely sodden. We ordered our new trees months ago but the growers can’t lift them when the ground is so wet. This means we will have to plant late in the season and hope they take. Fingers crossed please! Still, the polytunnel has survived everything thrown at it this winter and Jacqui is preparing to clear it out and begin sowing on time. Regular readers may recall the false start last year when a particularly nasty storm had me running across the back trying to catch it before it blew away across the farm next door.

The weather has meant we are using the heating much more this year and our previously impressive woodpile has shrunk to pathetic proportions. It should just last providing spring does actually arrive but we are in urgent need of our woodsman to remove the leaning trees and turn them into logs for next winter. Our new stove is very much appreciated if a bit tricky at times. The old one was less efficient but very forgiving whilst this tends to suddenly go all sulky on us and fade away unless watched. I’m sure we’ll get the hang of it soon. The grate is not as deep as the old stove so we got a fireproof mat to protect the floor and guard against dropping embers. It is made of fibreglass but much to my surprise our youngest dog, Charlie, decided it was the most comfortable thing in the room. He now settles on it quite often even if the stove isn’t on.

A lot of our time now is taken up with looking after the dogs, especially Chloe. We are having to change our routine, as she can’t be left alone for very long and on bad days can become agitated and upset if we are both out of the room at the same time. In fact I’m currently sitting at a foldout table downstairs so I can keep an eye on her while I type. She is a good age now and is fading but there is in this breed (and this line especially) a core of steel. She is quite capable of making her desires known from early dinner to being lifted down from the couch. As she is developing doggy dementia this includes shouting and pacing at odd hours during the night which isn’t ideal but she has good days too.

Sometimes she trots around the garden, sniffing out scent trails left by intruding cats and the occasional rat. Other days she just wants to sleep and we have to wake her regularly to go outside and pee. Even on sleepy days she can still impose her will on the others however. Note she’s settled in the middle of a three person couch – all the couch is hers. As are both the dog beds downstairs and her personal “donut” bed in the bedroom. We do use the Gabapentin in the evenings now as she needs a calm, quiet night if possible. A few months ago she discovered ice cream and her second dose mixed into this goes down in minutes. We know she won’t be with us much longer and we just want her to feel happy and safe. We’re not worrying about a perfect diet any more, we’d rather she enjoyed her days.

So spring brings flowers and the hope of warmer days but it also brings sadness. We are focussing on enjoying each day and carrying on moving forward with the house and the land.
Here’s to better days and a warm, sunny spring.
Thank you to all who made contact and shared their recent stories with me. Every one has been read and treasured and if I haven’t answered yet I will, I promise.

Jennie.