picture update

Might add words later!

Breathtaking

I am just so in love with magnolias, I don't know what it is about them but my heart skips a beat when I see them in flower.

The perect spring bud emerging inot a destiny of exquisite fragile beauty Still lots of trees barely in bud.

Ritual altar. We had a marvellous ritual and egg hunt :) There were some bemused members of the public who stopped and stared a while but all good apart from one old lady who just happened to be walking past as 35 people were shouting in big voices ' depart depart depart' lol

Sleepy bumbly

Happy Ostara

We had some lovley surprises in the post yesterday :)
2 parcels with gifts for our season table. After the previous disappointments I can truly say you 2 lovely ladies made K a very happy boy (and a happy mama as well!) A clever eggshell candle and a beautiful blossom fairy. A crocheted egg, a shell and a lovely crystal that k couldn't stop petting! A delicately painted card with snowdrops on.

A plant pot with some sunflower seeds and a gorgeous knitted daffodil collar for the pot! I will have the best dressed seedlings in Cornwall!

Off here tomorrow for a moot ritual. I am so looking forward to it and it is supposed to be a sunny day, I can fall in love with the magnolia again. I must find one that will survive our location.

Aggressive play

My post earlier got cut short by our delightful internet connection.

Some pictures of HE group on Thursday, we helped build some living willow structures, then on Friday we had more willow for making nests.

The willow on Thursday and Friday threw up some issues I'd known were going to arrive but had been avoiding quite well. On Thursday some of the older children made themselves and others bow and arrows. We avoid 'aggressive' toys, no swords no guns etc but there he was running around loving playing with bows and arrows, we got them to practice at a bale of straw rather than each other but I was still uncomfortable with it.

The Friday willow experience involved lots of boys running around with big sticks :( They need to run off all that energy and sticks are good fun but again it makes me feel uncomfortable. Don't want to make him sit in the corner not allowed to play with the others, in fact I can't think of anyway I could enforce that without a huge understandable emotional outburst. This parenting lark is hard!

You know you are with the right person when he walks into the kitchen as you are balancing against a cupboard having arranged cabbage leaves to photograph (thus delaying dinner) because the water droplets are just so and he doesn't bat an eyelid lol

In the end I didn't get the picture I had seen in my head but this one will do to illustrate!

Root days

There have been more root days and I managed to grab some time to get onions and main crop spuds in. So far the trees are untouched by the rabbits but I still haven't got the rest of the willow in, I'm guessing it'll be OK out of the ground for a bit longer.

Spring Fete

on Saturday at Gweek Village hall 10 am. I've got a stall and am contributing to the cake stall :)

Busy Bees

Saw our first enormous bumble bee last week, the size of my thumb. It's so cold now I hope he makes it.

Our trees finally arrived, oak, ash, 'thorn and rowan, plus I chopped down a boot full of willow from a friends garden that was in need of a trim. got half of it in so far.

All seedlings are increasing in size every day, the tingly energy coming out of them is amazing.

Edan's birthday treat was a visit to the local owl sanctuary and while it was a lovely sunny day there was a bitterly cold wind.

Charm the buzzard who thinks he's human.

Fluffy (yes that is his name!) the barn owl.

I got to fly a barn owl and he landed on the boys as well which they were initially a little scared of but loved it when that split second of fear realised there was nothing to be afraid of.

They also have a brilliant play area.

Chatting to one of the handlers it would seem our nocturnal visitor is probably a tawny owl, going to look into putting up a box somewhere.

Spring is really coming !

We planted various seeds last week and already have lettuce, Thyme, Chives and something else that escapes me, Basil is still to pop up. The garlic I planted late is also tentatively poking new shoots out of the earth.

First Earlies planted today, trying really hard to stick to the lunar calender when we can and today was a root day, the Orlas had chitted nicely so they went in the tyres, first time trying tyres. they are well weathered so hopefully OK for spuds.

Yesterday we went over to a friends and cut down lots of willow and replanted it in the field, fingers crossed the rabbits don't spot it and it gets a hold.

Checking email earlier and was pleased to see a 'your trees are on the way' email :) I thought they'd forgotten about us but they must just be really busy. Oak, ash and 'thorn are on the way to plant down the side of the field and in the circle.

Edans' birthday was lovely, we are off to the owl sanctuary at the weekend.

Home Ed group is going well but it is hard having to do it every week, would be nice to share the responsibilty with someone, we have nana her at the moment and it would be lovely to spend tomorrow with her as well instead of having to go off. Hmmm.

HE article

Interesting reading.
http://northshropshe.wordpress.com/2010/02/28/the-bbc-gagged-me/