Sunny morning and frost again but just below 0C (32F) so it didn’t feel that cold. The Cuckoo birds sound echoed all over the village and the bog. I heard it coming from north the first time and that means we’ll have another dry summer. The saying is that if one hear it from north the first time the summer will be dry, from east one will need comforting, south means someone will die but hear it from west is the best meaning it’ll be a great year 🙂

We went out on our morning walk rather early so the ticks would be a bit calmer, they aren’t happy with cold temperatures but it still happens they’ll get a grip if trying. Today I found only one walking on Alma but none on Malkolm. We had just passed the old stable when I noticed we had company, the Monsterkitten had decided to follow us for a while. I was rather surprised that she then decided to follow us all the way. She mostly walked behind us and I could see that she didn’t like all the different sounds in the forest 🙂

But she continued and at some moments she even walked ahead of us, just a few meters but still 🙂 Even the dogs looked confused having her with us 🙂 It reminded me of back in the days when Evil Bertil, a half feral cat that lived with us, followed me and the then dogs on our walks. Always a bit behind and always very quiet. Evil Bertil had a brother, fat orange Teodor, and the few times he decided to follow us we all got tired of him quickly 🙂 🙂 That cat screamed all the way and it didn’t matter that our walk could be well over two hours long 🙂 🙂 That cat was actually worse than Alma has been when it comes to screaming and making noise 🙂 🙂 🙂

We did get clouds later in the day and they were really dark, they had said we would get rain but I refuse to call what we got for rain 🙂 It was so little that as soon as the sun shone for two seconds it evaporated immediately. So now I hope the coming week will give lots more, unfortunately the temperature will drop a lot but we do need that rain.

The badger had paid us a visit during the night, thankfully also left before I let Alma outside in the morning. She has an evil eye just for badgers and been in fights with one two times. Thankfully the badger was small and Alma not the sharpest knife in the tool box so no serious injuries. A big badger would have crushed her legs with one bite I’m afraid. So anyway there was lots of small holes in the ground where it had found things to eat. I do like having a badger around because they eat lots of pests we don’t want, like slugs 🙂

I also took a look at the Heart Walnuts, I planted them in pots and had them outside all winter. So far four out of six nuts have started to germinate 🙂 There’s one big problem though, I don’t even have space for one of them because they grow to become really big 🙂 🙂 Plus I already have one reasonable big Black walnut in the garden and an English walnut as well 🙂 🙂 Plus I have a cherry bush on the way here and a small Cornelian cherry dogwood and also a few of those small cherry seedlings I found in my raised bed 🙂 🙂 🙂 I will one way or the other make space for some of it 🙂 🙂

I thought my Turkey rhubarb had died so I tossed it away last year, I was just about to put the root in the compost grinder when I noticed little leafs. It is really beautiful but also poisonous 🙂

It is time for that last cup of tea and perhaps a sandwich from a newly baked bread 🙂

Have a great day!