I had set the alarm for 7 am but at 6.30 Jeremy woke me with “grab your binoculars the owl is here!” I reached for them from their permanent place on the windowsill and trained them on our beautiful barn owl who was sitting on one of the near fence posts.  It has a gorgeous face with large eyes and although it looks wise we learnt, at the Bedfordshire county show last summer, that owls are not all that “bright”.  Nevertheless, wise or dull, the barn owl is a magnificent sight especially when it then took flight and flew close by our bedroom window.  Photos to follow,when Jeremy uploads them to the PC.

The poly tunnel is exploding with growth and full of tomato plants, mange tout, courgettes, salads and herbs, turnips, French beans, potatoes, strawberries and beetroots and more. Some of the plants will go out to the field but some, like the mange tout, will flower and crop inside.

The orange tree, that barely survived the winter outdoors in London, is thriving in the tunnel and producing fragrant white orange blossoms. It might even fruit.

“