OF MICE AND ME, OF DUCKS AND DROUGHT

Nothing to do with Steinbeck (any way life feels more like Neville Shute or as R's blog says - John Wyndham. (https://roseydarbishire.com/blog/2020/4/4/not-krakens-or-triffids)

Just been to the shed to get the hoe and check on the cosmos and ammi plugs I potted on.
AAAAGH! Something has eaten most of the leaves and I think I know who (no not R) - the mice are back. The trays are old photographic print trays, not used much now with digital photography. 
  And the pond is starting to look a bit low.
There are two drakes asleep today at the top of the pond, perhaps they both think the chicks belong to them?
 

And the duck is still sitting on her eggs though the camera caught her sneaking out at night tine for a dabble on the pond. She is in the tuft of grass on the left. The video camera caught her returning to the nest from the pond.

Plum and damson blossom now so praying not to have a frost.
  I am fed up walking the lanes but there is not much I can do. The taskmistress will not allow me just to vegetate in a comfortable chair.
  Bonfire again lit a second attempt.
R is starting to deadhead daffodils.
 

More blossom though any tree will struggle to compete with the cherries.

The amelanchier is flowering and the bronze leaves are coming on the  cercidiphyllums. 

  I have put final muck on small bank below house where these tulips have come up year on year with their splash of orange.


Apart from that it is just primroses and wood anemones and violets and fritillaries and so on.
  So, if we get some sun and warmth I shall sit and look out at the garden, mug of tea in hand, chunk of chocolate cake in mouth. Might even take a nap - sometimes not much else to do in this plague year.
 

Sam the gardener has been again and trimmed the stream sides (dry from the drought) and laid a new paved crossing from the wood to the veg beds.
I trimmed the rosa rugosa so have a line of cuttings.

And so lots of images of garden as it is so photogenic now.
  

Finally watered pots and seeds - sown more rows, cauliflower, broccoli, parsnip and courgettes in pots, no rain forecast for a fortnight - thank heavens for a borehole.