The birds are singing
April 2020
Of course, despite our lives grinding to a halt, nature goes on and at this time of year, Spring, it seems even more so!
The birds are singing and looking for nesting sites; the herbaceous plants are emerging again; daffodils are in full bloom and frogs and toads are spawning. As a matter of fact, there are loads of frogs in our pond right now and the sound they make is practically deafening! The amount of frog spawn is actually quite gross to look at, but it is nice to know that new life will be coming into the world soon.
I also have some sad news; I was looking forward to introducing Hannah, Hetty, Hester, Helga and Hank (our new ex-battery chickens) to our readers, but sadly that will have to wait for a few more months. You see, we were going to get 5 more rescue hens from the British Hen Welfare Trust (BHWT) but because of the coronavirus, they have, understandably, cancelled all hen collections. I am gutted, I was really looking forward to seeing 5 new hens blossom and thrive in our garden, free to behave like chickens once again! I will just have to be patient, I guess.
I find the best way to forget about the news is to keep busy in the garden. It’s nice to see the sun, listen to the birds and to feel the soil again. I find that trying some mindfulness techniques are very beneficial for keeping me ‘in the present’. If you look online you will find Youtube guided mindfulness videos. Basically it helps you focus on the here and now, a skill you can use when you start fretting about the future. In the one I do, the instructor says:”You can only ever live now, thoughts about the past or the future are just your imagination and are not actually happening, now.” It helps you to focus on whatever you are doing at that particular moment: like brushing your teeth, lying in bed, reading a book, cooking, gardening, you name it. Just remember that that is what you are doing in that moment.
As for my studies, my exam in June has also been cancelled. The studies themselves continue, though - it is an online course after all! I just need to find time to do my next fieldwork practical, which is measuring the circumference of 15 trees!