Bluebells

Out early again this morning, but I still had to merge with a couple of dog walkers heading up the hill to the estate.  Once there we all went off in separate directions and I paused to blip the bluebells with patches of light falling through the canopy.  I had the camera switched on and set up, but sadly no deer today.  

Back home it was coffee time and then I did a bit of weeding trying to keep on top of the creeping buttercups and nettles which have once again appeared in the border.  I did a bit of wiping down of the surfaces in the kitchen and made some coulis from the last of the blackcurrants which Tony didn't use for his jam.  The coulis is delicious on my porridge and yoghurt (and ice cream) but quite labour intensive because it has to be pushed through a sieve (and then the sieve has to be cleaned!)

A message came through on our street WhatsApp to say a neighbour's son had shaved his head for the local hospice so there were lots of messages about donations.  I took a walk down the street and caught up with a couple of neighbours I haven't seen for a while, briefly and at a distance!

I thought about making some bread to go with the blackcurrant jam but then discovered I had no dried milk powder for the breadmaker machine.  It's one of those ingredients which you use once then it slowly finds its way to the back of the cupboard for several years, borne out by a neighbour replying to my request to say she had some from Nov 2012 if that was any use?  This prompted a clear out of the 'preserves' cupboard whereupon we found aged crab apple jelly; aged raspberry jam; aged plum jam and two jars of something we struggled to recognise (so much for not bothering to label things!)  We tentatively removed the lid of one of the jars and we think it was gooseberry chutney, but we have no recollection of having made it.  Anyway, we now have a clear shelf with beautifully labelled blackcurrant jam taking up residence.  The next job is to clear the remains of the small freezer in to the fridge/freezer so that it can be defrosted and cleaned in preparation for the allotment produce later in the year.  I wonder what I will find at the bottom of it...….