FROGSPAWN IS IT AND THE HOKEY COKEY AGAIN

And so early!

Here are there of the first clumps in amongst the water cress.
So, off I went down the garden carrying a rake and a plastic sack. I filled the sack with loose stones and buried into the hole in the pond wall. When the stream flow falls the pond will empty and leave the spawn high and dry. Then I raked mud from the bottom of the pond over the sack in an attempt to keep the water level high. I had meant to properly line the pond before spawning but have been to tardy.

Now it is too late.

The pond is on the bottom east corner of the garden in front of the Wendy House (R's writing shed) in the boggy area. The stream runs into one end and out true other. Unfortunately this means that silt and muck are washed down and fill it up.

I am glad to report that, despite slipping in the boggy bank I failed to fall in and lighten your day.

So, what does the next picture show?

It shows manure, good ripe horse manure lavished on the flowerbeds. I have been ranting on about this for a long time so thought I would let you see what it all about. The green shoots in the foreground are day lilies, a camellia to the right and roses straight ahead. The green bush on the left is a genista.

Not all parts of the garden are actively cultivated. The old log pile by the path down to the pond, well rotted and now gathering moss, is left well alone. This is a haven for invertebrates, small mammals and toads. It is infested with fungi and full of interesting nooks and crannies.

Now I know these are not our native wild primrose - still in leaf only - but a bought primula - I think given to us in a basket full of plants. It was plonked by the Wendy House and every year it starts to flower in January - a little ray of sun in a dark corner.

And so to the Winter Olympics - how contrived can events become - sliding on ice on tin trays, dancing on ice - is dancing a sport? Then there are Moguls - bumpy skiing - and suicidal jumping on a a skateboard without wheels.

I am surprised they do not have timed ice lollipop eating, whippy ice cream serving, standing on one leg on ice after dark whilst eating dry crackers competitions, curling hair and so on. Anyway it would be no good holding them here this year - speed skating would be breast stroke and crawl, backstroke and butterfly.

Perhaps they might have a special Putin gold award for the best prat fall on ice - did you see that only four of the five olympic rings opened - I wonder which one was the flop (I know it was the right hand one)(actually that fits - with Russia's political leaning being to the left)(Then again somehow the regime in Russia reminds me much more of a right-wing dictatorship).

Just a minute, someone is knocking on the door.

"Ah! Hello Vlad. Have you come for me? Mr P. objected to my linking him to the Hokey Cokey, did he."
"Oh! No, he wants to learn how to do it. He thinks it would look good on Mayday if the Red Army all did the Hokey Cokey in Red Square as they go past."

The mind boggles!!