The Jackdaws Ate My Trees

One of the delights of travelling is the little gems you pick up on the way. While I was off helping with what I am calling the Deer Project, I was able to buy some home crafted cheese from the Mull of Kintyre (Cue The Music). It is one of the things that delights me is finding gems of food suppliers like this, and the cheese is gorgeous.

On the subject of food, while I do enjoy cooking, it is something that I have been neglecting for many months now, partly because I have been so busy. However much of what I have been doing has been sorting out everyone else's problems. When I got back from my expedition, I had a mass of messages and emails to plough through. Yet the one common factor was that while they were all vital at the time, because I was not available, they had to find their own solutions. While it may seem tough, I am no longer willing to be at everyone's beck and call. While it is in my personality to try and be helpful, I have had the feeling for a long time that many of the people were in fact just using my willingness to try and help as a way of them not doing what they didn't want to do.

So since getting back I have been having some quiet time and doing some proper cooking. I am loving rediscovering the pleasures of taking time to cook fresh meals. For months I have been cooking meals just to put them in the freezer as I knew that I would be pressed for time here or there.

It has been like getting control back of my life. So often it has been I/We need you here, not can you help, or is it convenient. Having this extra time also enabled me the opportunity to go out and check on the badger setts. What was noticeable was that none of the females (sows) were out at all only the Brock's. That's a clear indication that there will soon be the patter of tiny paws.

One thing that occurred while I was away that has disappointed me, was all the trees seeds that I sowed in the autumn have gone. When the snows came recently, I spotted the Jackdaws taking an interest, and they did take some then. I have been doing my best to stop them as once they realised that each pot contained a beech nut or acorn or whatever, that was it, they were probing every pot. Don't tell me that birds are bird brained, they are clever. If I do it next year I think that I will need netting.