Our little tadpoles are slowly but sure turning into little froglets.
Some have well established back legs, and this little fellow is starting to grow his front legs too.
Can anybody tell me what kind of frog/toad this is? (Both pictures are the same tadpole. They are not two different ones)
We found some tadpoles on the abandoned allotment next to ours.
They were swimming in half an inch of murky water with no sunlight and no way of escaping.
So we took a few home to watch them turn into frogs (or toads?)
Exciting to watch nature do its thing! I can't wait for the little froglets to emerge.
Everything on the allotment is rosy!
There is little I find as rewarding as growing, harvesting, preparing and eating my own fruit and veg (well, apart from knitting perhaps!)
I feel truly blessed to have such a variety and an abundance of food.
The elderflower blossoms are out and it's time to make elderflower cordial.
Homemade elderflower cordial is so much better than anything you can buy. Serve with sparkling water for a refreshing drink or sparkling wine for a delicious cocktail.
Ingredients
30 elderflower heads
1.7litres/3 pints boiling water
900g/2lb caster sugar
50g/2oz citric acid (available from chemists)
2 unwaxed oranges, sliced
3 unwaxed lemons, sliced
Preparation method
1. Gently rinse over the elderflowers to remove any dirt or little creatures.
2. Pour the boiling water over the sugar in a very large mixing bowl. Stir well and leave to cool.
3. Add the citric acid, the orange and lemon slices, and then the flowers.
4. Leave in a cool place for 24 hours, stirring occasionally.
5. Strain through some muslin and transfer to sterilised bottles.
We are just coming to the end of last year's batch and have enjoyed a little bit of summer, even during the winter months.
Yesterday evening my husband called for me to help him, because a sparrow had managed to trap himself under the netting.
Just as we both walked up to the bed to lift the netting off, a sparrowhawk swooped down from nowhere, aiming for the helpless sparrow. Luckily the netting which had trapped the sparrow, now turned out to be a protection for the little sparrow - because the sparrowhawk could not reach him. Instead the netting was pushed down, leaving a gap at the side through which the lucky sparrow escaped.
All this happened in the blink of an eye, no more than a meter away from us!
It was a real "WOAH!" moment.
To cut a long story short, I feel burdened. Too much to do and not enough hours in the day!
After some time of feeling sorry for myself and then reflecting a little about it all, I can't help but feel that this is somehow a blessing. When I feel that I cannot do all these things in my own strength, then probably because that is exactly true. I cannot!
But I can do it with God's help and guidance and with his strength:
Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light,” (Matthew 11:28-30, NLT).
Right now I may not feel like I can handle things, but deep down I know that I will be okay - because I am not alone!
Spring has arrived!
You might think that after 44 years I am used to that annual event - but NO, every time it blows me away!
The new growth, the sun gaining in strength, the days lengthening, the soil warming, the creatures stirring ...
How can I not feel excited?!
Welcome sun, welcome life, welcome season of growth and development! Please enter and stay for a while.
