End of May

Welcome back, I made cake!   a rare cake that didn't turn out flat! this one was thick and luxurious, ginger and syrup cake, its laden with calorific buttercream filling but is so delicious I won't dwell on that.

 Hope you have time for a long end of month post. I commented on Pompoms blog recently that it's good to see things in a childlike way so I would give myself an exercise in painting as a child would - well, if a child had a book of cakes and couldn't cook them,she would probably paint them I thought!

The inspiration was in my latest library book -  Clandestine Cake Club, it has some beautiful photography as well as lovely recipes.

The woods at the end of May are drenched from heavy rains and sound like a tropical rain forest with all the birds whooping with delight!

Elderflower is just showing green lace caps and hawthorn has tight white buds, the bluebells are coming to an end, in the fields there is clover, vetch and dandelion.    

Today we have heavy, silent raindrops, the woods are rustling with birds and they are singing loudly, they make a different noise when it rains - celebrating I think.  The woodland behind my fence is full of life.  I will buy birdfood.  In the UK we have a nature programme on tv called Springwatch that shows local countryside and garden wildlife, this year things are out of tune due to the cold weather we have been getting, birds are nesting and hatching late, hedgehogs are not making it out of hybernation as they have lost too much body fat so there will be less of these pretty creatures, nature is harsh and powerful.  I heard an owl last night, the first time this year - he's somewhere out there in the woods, watching our little house lit up like a fairy lantern at night.

My head is brimming with words today, but no paintings, maybe painting another day.  My painting mojo has left me.  

So as we turn the page and step into June - I hope the theme will be sunshine, picnics, seaside and a glimpse of Summer for us all.

Betty x