We Made It!

This was the view from my ride to work on the last day of term. Once again, it has been a challenging year but we were some of the more fortunate ones who made it through to the final day without the need to isolate. I feel relieved for us, yet sad for the students and members of staff for whom the school year ended rather more abruptly. This summer's break has arrived not a moment too soon and I really hope we will see some semblance of normality when we return at the beginning of September.

Sports day still went ahead last week, albeit without parents in attendance, but thanks to online learning platforms the school was able to share footage from most of the afternoon's events. Lily was thrilled to come first in both her running and skipping races. She is rarely seen in the playground without a skipping rope in her hand, and I'm sure she is faster running with one than without :)

The ritual of emptying both school and PE bags is now complete and I am looking forward to spending the next seven weeks with very few commitments, and days to fill just however we please. 

Here's to summer!

J. X

Blackcurrant Jam

Some time last year, in September I think, we were very kindly gifted what I had been told was a blackcurrant bush. In reality, what we received looked more like a bundle of dead or almost dead sticks with their bare roots neatly contained in a small bag. I had never grown blackcurrants before, so it was rather reluctantly that I agreed for this twiggy stump to be planted at the back of the garden, up against the dry stone wall. Then we would wait to see whether or not they would grow. 

For a while they just sort of blended into the background and I didn't really take much notice of them during the winter months, much like the rest of the garden. But as spring arrived, so did some new growth and, as more and more green shoots appeared it became apparent the bush had managed to establish itself. Then later on, as some flowers appeared, I was pleasantly surprised to see that even in it's first season it was going to yield some fruit and, not long after, those green berries began to ripen. I did wonder if we might lose some of our blackcurrants to the many birds that have visited the garden this year but, fortunately, they appeared to have left them well alone, much preferring the generous buffet available to them at the bird feeder instead.

As the bush is still quite small, I was only able to gather just enough fruit to produce two jars of jam, but it was definitely worth my minimal time and effort, as it tastes delicious!

This is the recipe I used and it can easily be adjusted it to the quantity of fruit you may have.

400g Blackcurrants

270g Granulated sugar

The juice of ½ a lemon.

Rinse the blackcurrants and place them in a large pan with 75ml water. Bring to the boil and simmer for around five minutes stirring all the time. At this point I like to squish mine a little using a potato masher, but take care as it is incredibly hot. Add the lemon juice and sugar and bring to a rolling boil for around ten minutes, or until the setting point is reached. Allow to rest for a few minutes then pour into sterilised jars.

It's so quick and easy to make. I would say most of the work is in preparing the blackcurrants. I even had time to bake some fresh bread to enjoy it with. And I can also confirm that, despite my initial reservations, this little blackcurrant bush has more than earned it's position in the garden. 

J. X

Early Summer

Hurray! Summer has arrived. Bright, sunny mornings see me waking far earlier than I would like, but a steady, unhurried start to my day is much more enjoyable than the need to rush around. Washing is pegged out on the line, birds are fed (I've discovered mealworms are a huge hit), and oh, how satisfying it feels to help myself to fresh strawberries from the garden to enjoy with some yoghurt for my breakfast. And all this is before 7.30a.m. at which time I set off on my bike to ride into work. 

Even that feels like a joy at this time of  year. The lanes are quiet, the calves in the fields are just beginning to stir, and the warm, early morning air is filled with the sweetest of smells. As I ride along I breathe in the delicious scents of the Elderflower, Honeysuckle and Meadowsweet which line the roadsides. 

Lately, weekdays have been quite busy, so I have eased off at the weekends a little more than usual. That said, I still need to get out, and much like a dog, I need to be walked regularly :) So, last weekend we took a gentle stroll up Gummers How. A much loved little fell on the southern shores of Windermere. We like to walk here every now and again, as it's an easy, short walk up direct from the car park and  the views across the lake are stunning. 

The wildflowers in the garden had been flattened by the heavy rain showers, but they soon straightened up again when the sun re-appeared. There are several new varieties which are yet to open up, and I never knew you could get white Cornflowers, so it came as a shock to see one all on it's own, in amongst the blue and purple ones. 

During the week, we finally had the opportunity to go swimming in a pool once again and it felt amazing. The sun was shining, the water was lovely and warm and Lily had a grin on her face the entire time we were in the pool. I've promised that I will book for us to go again very soon. 

The next day, I had planned a visit to Ullswater for some paddle boarding and swimming, after which there would be sausages cooked on the camping stove followed by some hot chocolate. It was warm, sunny evening and a lovely time was being enjoyed, then I realised I had forgotten the sausages! I am seriously not very good when it comes to utilising this particular camping stove, as I have previously been known to forget the gas cannisters! Never mind. A hot chocolate would be good until we arrived back home. But guess who forgot the mugs! I was so cross with myself, until, eventually, I came up with a plan. We could drive on towards Keswick, call at the supermarket for some sausages and cook them by Derwentwater instead. 

Fortunately, I was in need of some more camping mugs, so it wasn't money wasted, and by this time a pack of chocolate Brownies may have also made their way into my shopping basket. I now had everything I needed but the car park machine by the lake had other ideas. I needed to wait twenty minutes, until 7p.m. to pay to park for the evening! By this time I was getting more than a little cross at myself until another visitor, who was also waiting, told me that Max the Miracle Dog and his owner, Kerry were over the road, in Hope Park. They were having a short meet and greet before the unveiling of a bronze statue of Max, which was taking place the following afternoon. Needless to say, I was very excited at this and, once I had paid to park, I can't tell you how great it was to chat with Kerry and stroke the dogs I have read so much about. They are just so gorgeous, and very friendly, happy dogs. I would have happily stayed there all evening but I had sausages to cook.

A little way along the shore we found a quiet spot to set up the stove and, I have to say, the sausages tasted delicious and were well worth the wait. The hot chocolate and brownies were pretty good as well.

As it happened, my forgetfulness worked out rather well for me in the end.

 

I thought you might like to see the new mugs.

J. X

 

June

Lately, I feel as though I've lost my blogging voice. Misplaced, rather than lost, perhaps. Then again, day to day life has become hectic once more and, I suppose, I lose track of time, then I can't seem to find the words to pick up where I left off. Therefore, I'm going to use the advice of another blogger and let my photographs (hopefully) lead the way.

Much the same as last year, we've been spending a lot of time in the garden and I'm chuffed to bits at how it has changed in such a short space of time. Earlier in the month, the pea shoots which  Lily brought home from school were already growing quickly, as were the runner beans and the wildflowers. She even won another packet of seeds in a school competition, so we have since sown those as well. We are receiving a lot more feathered visitors this summer, including a friendly little robin who pops in regularly to sit on the swing and then onto the rotary drier. I put food out each morning while Mog is upstairs fast asleep.

Last week we enjoyed a walk from the village of Patterdale up over Arnison Crag, Birks and then on to Saint Sunday Crag. It was a beautiful day and not too warm - perfect for being up on the fells, especially as it was lovely and quiet there. There may have been some protestation from Lily, as the walk, although straightforward, was a little steep in parts, but she was perfectly happy once we'd  reached the summit. It must have slipped my mind as to quite how high we would be climbing :)   

The next day, a far more gentle walk along the lane and through the fields meant we could collect some elderflowers for making cordial. It's a favourite of mine and so simple to make, although it continues to frustrate me as to how the best flower heads are always just out of reach. Never the less, we collected enough to make the cordial, which was ready to drink the following afternoon. It tastes delicious, and this year, as well as bottling some of the cordial, I have also frozen some in ice cubes trays, so it will be more convenient to store and make it easier to use just the right amount for each drink. The link to the recipe is here.

Back into the garden. As you can see, many of the wildflowers have grown rapidly since the first photograph, which was taken two weeks ago, and just as we had hoped, there is a constant buzz from the bees as they go about their business. We've also got some peapods now, the cornflowers are just about ready to open  and, more importantly...

I can pick fresh strawberries to eat with my yoghurt 🍓🍓🍓

J. X