Willow and Waffle!

I've decided to try to post here in a diary format, more frequently, and then round things up and create longer, more 'finished' posts on my substack - hopefully weekly, but honestly that almost never happens.

Yesterday we had the vet visit to inspect our livestock for the VAN (Veterinary Attestation Number) that you need to take animals pretty much anywhere - for sale, to market, for slaughter - and I was slightly dreading it, because we are so flooded, and things are being made worse by the still awaited fences to protect the new hedges.

She was lovely, though, and said all the animals look really well, and we were obviously doing our best in very difficult circumstances.

I then pressed on with the 'spare room' or more accurately work room for a bit, and got things into their own separate boxes and spaces so that I can get on with one thing at a time, and the one thing in question yesterday was some ironing. I'm not a great ironer, but there are a few of Neil's smarter shirts, a few of mine, the odd table cloth (for company!) and so on. Weirdly, I do like my cloth napkins ironed!

Earlier this week I finally got round to putting out ground cover and planting out some willow whips which I literally cut from my existing little basketry bed as I needed them

Don't they look hilarious with the backdrop of the thousands of carefully protected hedge plants ?!

I really need to do a bit more research on how to harvest and use this willow. I have five colours, and the main bed has been there a couple of years now. I would absolutely love to be able to make a basket from our own willow - maybe to harvest vegetables into?

Meanwhile it was a near miss for my newest tomato seedlings in the propagator, as I forgot about them for 24 hours and by the time I went in yesterday to continue the clear up, they were a bit leggy and leaning, but I think I've managed to rescue them.

Thanks to Rhonda at Down to Earth  I've happily redsicovered Feedly, and it's so lovely to find old friends still posting! I shall mention them one or two at a time, I think. First off is Tracing Rainbows - I've been having a good old read and it's like catching up with a long lost friend!

It remains to be seen whether anyone is seeing my posts here, or if I'm just note taking for my own purposes. If you do see this, please drop a comment? I'd love to know if anyone is still  there!