Salad Days

 It has been a little warm these last few days!  

G, Holly's regular staff, went to London on Monday to fetch her daughter's dog so Holly Dog summoned the relief staff - me!  On Sunday Holly and G  visited me and poor Holly was panting so badly that I gave her frozen gel packs, (often needed by my knees), for her to lie on.  G and I just collapsed like sweaty puddles.  

Anyway, I went to Holly's house and we spent the day avoiding the sun. Unfortunately she likes to sit as close as possible which doesn’t make keeping cool very easy.   Fortunately the house is largely stone-built with not-too-large windows so the heat isn't as uncomfortable as it would be at home.  

While I was there I photographed the tree.  It really is in a magnificent place and is now in full leaf.  I took this photo whilst standing in the porch.

My Hare Days have ended.  It should have been "Hare Today, Done tomorrow" but I did disappointingly little.  I gave away a lot of fabric and some other things but there is still a long way to go to get a tidy house.  I've had to accept that I cannot spend a long time decluttering.  Physically it is too demanding and also I am too easily distracted into looking at books, pictures, unfinished craft projects etc.  My best bet seems to be twenty minute sessions several times a week.  

My Salad Days have now started.   I was inspired by by Ang from Tracing Rainbows who wrote a brilliant post about salads.  I can't claim still to be in the "salad days" of my youth, but I can eat salad!  Over these next few weeks I want to try as many different salad ingredients as I can and to eat them in a variety of places.

And I've celebrated this new "season" by changing the decorations on my indoor tree.  I haven't got vegetables to display but I like my bees and have added daisies.

The (outdoor) tree in April

"My" tree

 Once again Holly Dog has invited me to stay so I have been looking at "my" tree.  I chose it back in January but I wasn't too sure what it was!  I thought it was probably a beech but didn't want to commit myself.

Anyway, I've now been close up and have looked at the bark.  (It would have been dangerous for me to walk across the rather soggy grass in January.)  And now I've looked at the tree, the leaves and the bark and have decided that it is, indeed, a beech tree, Fagus Sylvatica f. purpurea.

The bark of "my" tree

It's a copper beech (that's the purpurea bit), one of my favourite trees.  The leaves are currently only half formed but they are so lovely.

In Celtic mythology, Fagus was the god of beech trees. It was thought to have medicinal properties – beech leaves were used to relieve swellings, and boiling the leaves could make a poultice.  I think I will just enjoy my tree for itself.  

A Tree

 

I think it could be beech!

I've enjoyed watching various bloggers post about trees, (or rather an individual tree) through the seasons and I've decided to do the same this year.   I will photograph the tree opposite Holly Dog's front door.  I'm not doing monthly pictures but rather I'll get the camera out each time Holly Dog invites me to her home.  There aren't many months when she doesn't favour me with an invitation.  

This month she's got in very early, as G (her regular human) has gone on her travels just for three nights.  So, I reported for duty yesterday, armed with the required "dietary supplements" (chicken etc).  I also brought the heated throw so maybe I will get the odd Brownie point.  I can but live in hope.  Holly has her standards.

I've taken my first photo of the tree.  I think it is beech but I'm not sure - at the moment I can't get close enough to se the bark.  I'll do better next time.