A chilly May

Well, green is rolling out across the valley. We can only just make out the roof of the ‘peacock house’ above the trees now they’re in leaf. You can smell hawthorn blossom and the bluebells are still carpeting the woods.

It’s been a chill, damp, gusty May. We’ve had the odd bright day but they’re few and far between.

We’ve been out and about, mostly locally and up to Heptonstall. We discover new walks all the time. We walked along the canal in the opposite direction at the weekend, because Joe thought he’d seen an osprey’s nest from the road. It turned out to be two heron’s nests and the occupants were sitting in the field below them. I didn’t get a picture of said herons as I don’t have much of a zoom lens, and they’re shy birds so as soon as you try and approach them they’re up and off.

So just a photo of the nests (Joe wanted them included).

Speaking of nesting, we’ve viewed a few more houses. The most recent we actually put an offer in on but had to take into account the cost of potential renovation work (rewire, plastering etc). It’s a 1930s built red brick terraced, with gardens front and back. There are woods surrounding it too, and a short but steep walk would bring us out at Joe’s school. I have a friend who lives a few doors up, and there’s a little park and other children close by. It’s in a secluded spot but still walkable into Hebden Bridge.

Of course, there have already been two higher offers now (one cash) so all that came to nothing.

I’ve never known the housing market to be like this. I think it’s a combination of living in a ‘desirable’ area, so few houses coming up for sale, and people wanting to move out of cities. Every viewing I’ve been to lately has had people queueing up outside, waiting for their slot. It’s a bit unnerving.

Changing the subject (because the house thing makes me feel stressed); I might have a job in Hebden. I’ve been for a quick chat, have got a meeting on Friday and potentially will be going in over the weekend. But I’m not divulging any more just yet - we’ll see if I’m a good fit for them, and if the hours will work around Joe.

So I’m crossing my fingers for that.

I’ve also been having business chats with a friend of mine, who came over yesterday and we sat in the lovely Mooch cafe bar and came up with lots of great ideas, both for my photography and her digital design. It’s good to see my old friends again. I really missed them when we were on Skye, and now we’re back I can see them all again.

Another came across the week before and we got food and did the shops and picked up a few bits and pieces. I’ll probably head over to their neck of the woods before May’s out.

Right now I’m feeling a bit fragile. One of the pleasures of children is that they gift you with every virus doing the rounds at school, and Joe has generously passed on a nasty cold. It’s one of those that leaves you exhausted through lack of sleep (due to the sore throat and coughing), so after posting this I’m going to get some lunch and take an hour to get warm and drink something hot.

Chicken soup would be good, but that’s a lot of effort right there.

It was my birthday last week. I went to Halifax as it’s fairly close by, and negotiated the crazy junctions and roundabouts for the first time. It was all surprisingly straightforward but I did end up parking somewhere ridiculously expensive. Still, I went for a nice solitary coffee and had a wander around the shops. I picked up one or two bits and pieces - nothing noteworthy, just stuff like earrings and nail varnish and a T shirt.

Then I came home again.

On Monday I got the urge to dust off my bike and ride it along the canal to Luddenden, so I did. It was nice to be out amongst the fields and trees, looking at all the cow parsley and buttercups and spotting the little goslings and dippers. I saw one or two other cyclists - proper ones, wearing lycra and helmets and hi-vis jackets (I was in a woolly jumper, Converse and a gold Alice band) - but they all said a cheery hello.

To be honest, it was pretty hard work. I had to get straight into the shower when I got back and my beetroot face took a while to return to normal. But I was left feeling quite pleased with myself.

Joe’s not the sporty type, but he has been playing cricket and football at school. And he now asks if we can go down to the fields of an evening so he can have a kickabout. We usually oblige unless it’s been particularly rainy, as there’s the canal on one side and the river on the other, and being at the foot of the valley it can get quite wet.

If that’s the case we just chuck a ball around the garden and the cat joins in.

We went to the antiques place I’ve mentioned before, over in Rossendale. I used to go there a lot (the tearoom is lovely) and Jay bought me some Hornsea pottery for my birthday. Not the ‘Heirloom’ range - I’m still on the lookout for that - but ‘Bronte’. Which is pretty apt, considering where we live and the fact that I’m a big reader. It was very reasonably priced, and in pristine condition. I can add to it as I find other bits, too.

I never really understood people who collected things (when I was little, my auntie had a shelf running around the dining room of her cottage, and it housed a lot of sinister-looking Toby jugs) but I do get it now. It’s not so much the procuring and displaying, as the seeking and finding.

I think it’s when you have multiple collections going on that things can get a bit out of hand. And really dusty.

Finally: the rhubarb.

The plant in our garden is an absolute monster and on Monday afternoon we pulled up all the stems. Trimmed, they weighed in at very nearly 9 kilos. They’re now bagged and frozen and waiting to be turned into any number of culinary delights. And we plan to give some away too. Because otherwise we’ll be suffering from rhubarb fatigue long before the end of the summer.

The main stalks (which were topped with big seed heads) came down yesterday after school, and Joe and I used them as baseball bats for a quick game. They were hollow but hefty. I’ve never seen a rhubarb plant of such massive proportions, and there are still new stems sprouting.

This is the last week of school before half term. On Friday Joe’s off for three nights with his grandparents. That’s a long time without him, and we’ve had very little time off in the past three and a half years. We might take the train into Leeds, but we might decide to just take it easy at home instead.

I’m hoping the weather warms up and that the rain stops. Half term is much better when you can spend time outdoors. Joe’s back on Monday afternoon, and there are lots of things I’d like to do with him during the holiday.

Thank you for all your comments on the blog. I’ve been busy and unable to reply to them all but, as ever, have read and very much appreciate your thoughts.

Have a great (long) weekend!