Hi friends, it has been a while since I have written an update from the Wybrnant valley and boy… has a lot happened! If you are in the UK like us, then you too will be in your fourth week of lockdown. I hope you are coping well and that your loved ones are safe and healthy.
The cafe I work in has been closed since the end of March so I am currently on furlough. Last year, around this time, the cafe was getting busier as we approached summer; it was a stressful time since I was new to everything. However, I was looking forward to this season since I expected it to be easier this time around! I guess I will have to get back into it later this year.
Tŷ Mawr usually opens in March, but it is also closed at the moment. It’s very strange since the grounds would normally be bustling with walkers and visitors by now. Nathan is still working in his office so I am seeing a lot more of him these days!
The lambs
One thing we have been extremely blessed with is the weather and the time of year in which all this has happened. The weather has been brilliant thus far and the valley around us is bursting into life. Spring is rapidly becoming my favourite season (I have been an ardent autumn fan for years)!
One of my favourite ‘Spring’ aspects are the little lambs surrounding our enclosure. They are such a joy to look at! Last week we managed to capture a special little moment when the lambs were playing in the field behind us. I had been trying to capture them for a couple of weeks, but they would run off when I would approach. So you can imagine my excitement when this happened! Well… you don’t have to imagine, you can hear it in the video!
A nocturnal slug hunt
This extra free-time means a lot more gardening for us. In our herb garden we have an array of mints including peppermint, spearmint and horsemint. I love these fresh herbs. They’re perfect for teas, salads, garnishes and sauces. I’m afraid, however, that I am not the only one who is drawn to the herbs. I started to notice that the slugs were nibbling them enthusiastically. Typically. they’re never around during the day!
Last night, I was fed up with the disaster of the disappearing mint. It was around midnight and I looked at Nathan: ‘You know what?’ He looked at me, and I continued ‘I am going out in the dark with my head torch to see if I can catch them red-handed!’ Nathan thought I was nuts, but I still managed to drag the poor man outside to join me. Lo and behold, five slugs were going for it. I hadn’t expected this many! I planned to throw them in the stream, but out of panic I threw a couple over the gate. ‘What are you doing?!’ Nathan said, ‘They’ll just climb back again!’. That’s when I realized I had done a booboo. I threw the last slug in the stream and, later on, I have scheduled another nocturnal slug hunt in my planner.
Much love,
Jenna
Jenna – your blog inspired me to hunt for slugs. I found 8 munching away one night so followed your example and threw them over the wall! Thanks for the blog!
Hahaha Carwyn, that is brilliant! They might come back though. I heard that beer traps apparently work very well. It’s something we are starting to consider, since the vegetables might start growing soon!