05.44

Yes, that is correct. This Is what the world looked like at 5.44am this morning - pretty damn gorgeous!  The moon was huge and casting a silvery glow right across the bay.
You may wonder what on earth I was doing out and about at this ungodly hours, and i must confess I did too as I scrapped the ice off the windscreen (really). But you may remember that every year, once in April and once in May, I get up ridiculously early,  zoom beyond Skibbereen then walk around my square with a clipboard looking important, and no doubt somewhat suspicious. Yes, it is the annual birdwatch/bird count event. My square, a mile square in fact, is in the middle of nowhere but there are hills, a lake, fields and a scattering of farms. It's divided into 10 transects - the first 3, as I set off, were alarmingly quiet, hardly a chirrup then things livened up.  Most plentiful birds were starlings, blue tits and goldfinches - quite different to normal and I wondered if it was because my first excursion was a bit later than normal and all the willows were blossoming.

It was an absolutely beautiful morning and there is something pleasant about being out and about so early. I saw a large cow and her teeny calf, annoyed an old dog, and waved to the man collecting milk in a huge tanker.

The sun continued to shine and we have been wood staining the largest shed until hail stopped play. Nice while it lasted.