Thursday 6 May 2010

Simple Pleasures for May

#1 Enjoying the green - everything seems to have exploded into shades of lime and moss around here this week. A few much needed showers have made the buds unfurl, watered my thirsty allotment and brought on the weeds! Ah well, this glorious canopy greeted me on the way back from town yesterday and is well worth a bit of time pulling dandelions up I reckon.
#2 Finding three tired littlies having an afternoon slump

#3 Blooming hedgerows. The blackthorn is fabulous this year and the may (hawthorn) isn't far behind.
#4 Black & white ladies back in the fields again following a winter indoors. I never tire of seeing the cows trail in and out of the fields every day; (maybe I would if I had to fetch them in though!) and I do love meeting them in the lanes on their daily jaunts.
#5 At long last finding a milkman who can deliver a pint to our door (and a fresh loaf too). Bottles on the doorstep (usually with holes in the foil thanks to the blue tits), delivered by a farmer in our village who had a milk round, was part of my childhood. Buying milk in plastic containers that curiously never needs a shake to mix in the cream, has never felt right at all to me.

And the talk of "super dairies" where the cows never go to the fields and live in huge hangers with plastic matting feels even worse. I may be naive and have no real idea of the challenges the dairy industry face but I am thrilled to be supporting a local milkman who gets his milk from a local farm where the cows only come inside when the grass stops growing.

#6 And finally, curling up for a very late night tonight in front of the box with crisps and chocs for company (poor Woody will be up all night covering a local count for the paper). What ever tomorrow brings there is something I find quite thrilling about joining in a national occassion, making my contribution and watching history unfold.

26 comments:

Pea Green Kitty said...

What a lovely post, Thank You!
I totally agree about the 'super farm' thing, it upsets me to read about it, apparently they already have the plot somewhere in Lincolnshire.
The poor cows, it's just so cruel, how can it be aloud to happen in a country that has animal rights!!!?
It also affects me directly as my Father is a dairy farmer and huge companies like that will have aknock on effect on all the small farms such as his.

Kitty x

Rose H (UK) said...

I agree wholeheartedly with Pea Green Kitty! Great post, great pictures. The three little ones made me feel sleepy too! Fabulous to see a milk delivery still available. As for these 'super farms' words fail me, they are one of the UK's farming disgraces - along with battery hens and indoor pork. We are a country of animal lovers?

Katy Noelle said...

Ahhhh, life! It does have a lot of sweet in it. I live in a huge dairy state. When people would come to the Bed and Breakfast and ask for lowfat milk, often, they would think that I'd made a mistake - the lowfat is so fresh that it tastes like whole. BUT, there is a farm down the road that has started selling unpasteurized milk - creamy!!!! With our fresh eggs, I'm thinking that I might really live in the country now!

Love, Katy

P.S. I'm from the Los Angeles, California area 17 years ago.

Helsie said...

What a delightfuln post . All looks lovely in your world at the moment. I see the new additions are making a lovely contribution to your life.
Cheers
Helen

Jewels said...

I'm jealous - what a lovely way to get your milk - when I was very young (lets not count years) we had milk delivered by horse and buggy to the door of my home in Canada - sigh, I'd never see that here these days in Michigan...nice to live vicariously through you though! Love your blog (its listed with my favorite Brits) and visit often. Jewels

*Ulrike* said...

You are very fortunate that you can have someone deliver your milk. I remember as a child my grandmother would have the milkman come by, and we would always get the lemonade for a quarter! It is so nice to see green again, and love the cow photo!!

melanie said...

What a lovely post. x

Amanda said...

What a great post - I have loved the past few weeks, seeing all the green popping out everywhere, it makes me so happy! And as for watching a National Event, well this year is the first time I have really got in to it and stayed up quite late to watch it (not al night, might add though).

susan said...

I get my milk delivered too but it comes in plastic bottles! That wasn't really the point when I started it, but it is so handy I could never stop it!!

Pipany said...

Lovely post Stteph. Great to have the milkman call again and love the idea of meeting the cows on their jaunts too. Have a great weekend xx

Ines said...

Wonderful pictures, dear Stephanie!
Your son and the tired cats- so cute :-) I love it!
Yes- I enjoy the green, too (maybe you wanna take a look to my post of today- all ist green ;-) )
You really live wonderful- with the wide land- the lonesome fields with cows- really great!
Enjoy your day-

hugs from Ines

inmykitchen said...

May is full of pleasures and is one of my favourite times of year.
I love the fresh new greens so fresh and hopeful.
Jo

Celia Hart said...

We've recently found a milk delivery too - I think the milk tastes far better somehow.

I'm in a post election night fug today - and I only lasted until 1am! The got up at 6am. Now I feel so sleepy - just like picture 2. May need to curl up with the cats for a kip.

We're in for a chilly weekend here in Suffolk - I think the May blossom will wait for a week or so.

Celia

Garden Girl said...

we have our milk at work delivered by the local dairy every morning, which is rather lovely, easpecially as we can drive past their fields of cows on the way in!
I love reading your posts Steph, and the photo of your babies is very cute indeed!
x

Twiglet said...

A lovely blog - all that fab blackthorn - lots of sloes for sloe gin then!!

Catherine said...

I love your post and am just a tad envious :o)
Cx

Attic24 said...

We started gettign milk delivered too in January and it's lovely to have the glass bottles which get put back out on the step to be collected adn reused. I used to hate having to deal with trying to recycle the plastic milk bottles.
In fact, just been out to bring in my four bottles from the step...off to make pancakes for brekkie!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

ps steph the photo of your Little Man and kitties made my heart melt!

mollycupcakes said...

They all sound fabulous honey.
That photo of little man with the kitties, Awwwwww! sooo cute.

Have a lovely weekend honey.

hugs,

Catherine x

Diane said...

My kids are sick of me saying "Just look at how everything has exploded into Green" and God bless my milkman who delivered everyday during the snow!!! People say its cheaper to buy milk in the supermarket, but I used to go to the supermarket for a pint of milk and spend £80!!! Love all your simple delights. Beautiful. xx

silverpebble said...

Blackthorn is my favourite blossom - thankyou for showing us yours. I love the image of the afternoon sleepiness there - that lovely glazed expression happens in this house too! There's something very lovely about milk on the doorstep.

PatyZ from Mexico said...

Hello Steph: I´ve been reading your blog for a while and just love it.
I was studying in England in the late 70´s and one thing I remember is the delivery of the milk with fresh buns everyday to the school. It makes me so nostalgic. I am from Mexico and we don´t have those things over here specially if you live in the big cities.
Have a nice day!!
Paty

lindano said...

Hello ,just learnt to comment,but have looked at you blog for ages.You take the most wonderful photos! Just spectacular.The previous photos of the new additions and the sleepy babies is so cute.Well done ,homes are made special by extra animal love.Thanks for sharing your lovely family and home.Take care Linda

Anonymous said...

I remember the sound of the milk float coming round the corner when I was young, it was a sign that it was almost time to get up! I'm starting to try and buy only food that supports the farmers and is produced in an ethical way - it had never occurred to me that milk could pose a problem, so thanks for this info. I'll certainly be looking into a local milkman soon!
Love your blog by the way - I also hail from the seaside, but Portsmouth, way down South. And we don't have such wonderful landscapes as you! x

Teresa said...

Hi Steph,

Have thoroughly enjoyed browsing your lovely blog. When I saw the milk bottles on the doorstep you had me! I remember that... complete with holes in the foil tops!

Louise said...

Lovely blog! We always had the milk delivered when I was younger and if I still drank milk I would get the same local milkman to deliver it now!

I too was thrilled to watch history unfold... I managed until 3:15 and then had to go to work on 4 hours sleep!

I was most pleased to turn the TV on by chance half an hour ago and be able to witness another little bit of history unfolding, our next prime minister about to be appointed!

Victoria said...

You make me want to live in the country and get my milk delivered in bottles :)