30 April : Wildflowers

I walked out of the cottage almost as soon as I arrived, past the church and the old forge, so that I could see the sun set over Dartmoor. The hedgerows are starting to fill out now and I picked violets, pink campion, stitchwort, cow parsley, and bluebell. Just enough flowers to go into my tiny sample bottles and bring the hedgerows into the cottage for the weekend.

24 April : Dandelions

A loud knocking and I find Little Boy Next Door on the doorstep writhing with excitement. He is in charge of the school guinea pigs, Fudge and Smudge, for the weekend. I admire the aforementioned guinea pigs. We discuss their likes and dislikes. I propose that I contribute some of the dandelions in our garden. The Little Boy graciously accepts this offer. I feel a mixture of delight that the dandelions are going to an appreciative home and sadness as each shining head is chopped off to go in Fudge and Smudge's bucket.