The temperature rose to 25ºC today here and over 29º in London, which apparently has been the highest April temperature in the UK since 1949, and was hotter than Corfu or the South of France.  Since we had enough snow to block roads, even major ones, last month, it’s all quite exciting.  We rather expect this country to have sensible, warm and wet or cold and wet weather – though we’ve had quite enough of the cold and wet sort in the last few weeks – rather than swinging to extremes (British extremes, that is, it’s hardly Equatorial or Arctic).  Anyway, I’ve painted the chickens’ greenhouse with Coolglass, and they don’t seem to mind the heat.  There are a number of panes replaced by wire and mesh, so it’s well ventilated.  I also spray water in there to bring the temperature down.  They’re laying well, anyway.  I put a dozen eggs aside for Wink to take home; some for her and some for her neighbour but, inevitably, they were forgotten.  We’re having eggs for dinner, anyway.

Johnny the farmer came round today to check what fencing needed to be done before he could put cattle on the field.  If you remember, Dave built two brick pillars back in the autumn to attach the fencing to, as the posts at one end weren’t strong enough.  Johnny hadn’t realised how much work was needed, but they’ve removed, welded where necessary and replaced the angle irons that are the posts in between the pillars, and put up a couple of wooden posts for the time being, so that ten cattle could be put on the field this afternoon.  They’ve been beating the bounds, checking out their territory, and they look quite happy young things, all racing each other and jostling cheerfully, like any youngsters.

The only thing still to be done is for the cappings to be cemented on to the top of the pillars.  They’re just resting there at present, though they’re very heavy and stable for now.  The biggest difficulty will be lifting them off and back on again.  It’ll take two strong men.  Or a couple of female weightlifters.  Even in the days when I was pretty muscular myself, I’d not have been able to shift my half.