I WAKE WITH THE GARDEN

Buddleias and roses pruned, snowdrops fading, daffs arriving, celandines out as are the first clump of primroses.

A mistle thrush sings in the big tree and a song thrush sings at the other end of the garden.

I have dug lucifer up as he was getting unruly and pushed his corms into a hole by the far wall and onto a bank near the veg beds. Jeanie got some.

The choysia which was blown over by the winter gales, and half out of the ground, has been moved to the big banking along with a red tree paeony. As I was moving the latter a bit fell off with root so now I have two.

Today a Rosa mundi arrived by post - at the request of R - and this has been put at the south end of the rose bed.

We have leaves on the flowering currant and bucket loads of frogspawn in the pond.

The whole place is going Billy Cotton. (Wakey! Wakey!)

To the picture of our 'Notable" Sycamore (c/o Woodland Trust Ancient Tree Search) and a desire to consider ladders and tree houses. The tree is very climbable as my son-in-law once demonstrated.

However, I do not wish to damage its grandeur so - ?

Just had walkabout with my brother and noticed the pulmonaria in flower, came in house and mud on shoes - not a good idea.

This is when one finds out what bulb is where and when surprises spring forth, when one mutters under one's breath having just put in a new plant only to find that in doing do I have dug up something.

The enemy has been seen but not using its retreat under the well.

I have not yet put the chicken wire fencing around the veg beds which I must do.

I hear a cry of shotgun again from the other room at which the scut vanishes.

Son R saw a green woodpecker nearby two days ago - we are used to the greater spotted variety - and the tawny owls are in cahoots all night long. Birds everywhere stuffing their beaks with my sunflower seed and peanuts - even a robin pecking the peanuts. The blackbirds are not too keen on melon but half an apple and they are anyone's bird.

So to this sign found on the top of Hampsfell near Grange-over-Sands.

I can understand left and right but straight up?

Is this the footpath to heaven?