Tuesday 28th April 2015 - Cool Spring

My new van took me to Scandinavia and back without mishap. The Danish Fly Festival was terrific as usual - good company, good food and good book sales and purchases. Everyone told me how good the sea-trout fishing has been this year so I was keenly anticipating a few days on the water after the show. Unfortunately the weather changed as the show finished and cold winds drove the sea-trout offshore, and I probably had the worst three days of the Spring for my fishing. Abandoning the shore, I drove back through Germany to the Netherlands (where, of course, the sun was shining), and to the Pike and Fly show at Dronten. It was pretty low-key but I sold enough books to make space for a trolley-full of olives, wine and cheese from the Calais supermarché. Before leaving home, immediately after Easter, I had prepared and sown the greenhouse beds, and planted much of the garden, as well as setting a couple of broody hens on clutches of eggs. On my return the beds were green with growing salad crops, and tomatoes and cucumbers were ready for planting - and this morning there is a hatch of silkie chicks to rehouse. The other setting, of Welsummers, has only produced one chick, so I've popped that one under the hen with the silkie chicks.