The Heifers...The Clematis... The Quiche... The Coot ...and the Moon

The cows are back.

Or rather a new little group of heifers.

I watch them from the new bench while I'm eating my breakfast raspberry and banana  smoothie this morning in glorious warm sunshine.

I notice how aware they are of each other. When one of them decides to lie down suddenly a few of the others gather round and nudge him with their noses.

They lie together affectionately...

it's very touching ....they are still very young.

A starling keeping an eye out...

The bird feeders are nearly empty. I'm waiting for a RSPB consignment. I tried replacing the RSPB suet nibbles with another version by a different company and the birds won't eat them. None of the birds will eat them - it's amazing how they have such discerning tastes. 

Walking round the garden I discover a  whole rambling clematis Montana on a fence at the front which you can't see easily as it's at the end of  narrow passage at the side of the house...

and a lovely yellow azalea on the far bank of the stream breaking out into full flower.

It's too hot to eat my herby salad lunch on the bench... still in full sun...

but the sheets get dry on the line in a few hours - wonderful.

I walk into the village to post a letter - all the gardens I pass by are full of spring tulips and blossom trees - 

but it takes me a long time to walk back very slowly. I keep forgetting that I can't do all the things I want to as my energy is so depleted ...I feel l like a baby that needs lots of naps..

At least the nausea is subsiding and for the first time I actually want to make something to eat that isn't a salad or soup ....I find a clump of chives poking up  in the grass with the forget-me-nots and the dandelions and chop them up ( the chives) ....

with a spring onion and make a small oak smoked cheddar cheese quiche with a kefir yogurt custard. Just for me. It doesn't feel quite right - although delicious  - in my mind a quiche is always for sharing...

Tonight I sit on the sofa in the dark with the curtains undrawn, watching "Victoria" on catch up TV. Every now and again I glance up and see the moon -  nearly full I think  - rising above the plane tree in the field and I wonder if the heifers are still there, lying together in the moonlight - keeping each  other company.

And this is for Sage....

many thanks for clearing up the coot versus moorhen dilemma...I think I have it right  and the babies on the London Lake belong to this mother or father coot...

even though  they have the white caps their babies have little red heads...a bit confusing...

but I do love your description of them as " floating black dandelion seeds" - perfect!