The Golden Delicious apple tree in the orchard that seemed to be struggling has suddenly exploded into a blossom festival and encouragingly is absolutely alive with bees and other pollinators and there was I thinking it had a problem of some kind. Never mind alls well that ends well. It's interesting watching the fruit trees in the orchard develop as the seasons move on.
On one evening walk Lucie saw a rat digging in the newly planted potatoes, the rat ran for cover but this time Lucie headed it off and killed it with one bite. Although it was jammed in her teeth and I had to free the deceased rodent. Nice. Typically the chase and kill involved Lucie going into the Dyke and all the stinking stagnant water. She wasn't happy, not about the filth and smell, but at the prospect of the bath to clean her up!
The big blue dome of the West Norfolk sky has been wonderful to see this last few days and here are some lovely wispy Horses tails. Long may this weather continue. Last week down by the Thames Estuary in Leigh-on-Sea I heard the first Cuckoo of the year on the marshes there and today, Saturday, I heard the first one in West Norfolk. Another set of Summer visitors I haven't seen yet are the Swifts, Swallows and House Martins. For the last two years they've turned up on April 20th and 21st respectively but so far no sign at all.