Busy woman’s busy spring

Its been a strange month, busy woman has had the idea to live on the edge now she is really doing it. She is going to sign on tomorrow to see what that feels like, heard good things and bad, heard its humiliating and rough, tho some say if you be nice first you will be ok.
I Have surpassed myself on speaking gigs, I went to a hill top village, it was so silent and beautiful, they had a village shop and really well used community room, we got their too early and had a mooch around, even the cats in the street seemed to meow “stranger” the silence would kill me .
I thought the presentation wouldn’t mean a lot to such a cute and well sussed community, how wrong I was, people were planning a village walk around to decide where to plant fruit and herbs before I left , they are coming down the hill for an evening tour . Check them out
www.midgleyvillage.co.uk
Yesterday I did my biggest ever talk wearing a lady gaga headphone thing on the stage at the Victoria Theatre Halifax 450 women from the north east Trefoil Guilds, these were no ordinary women they were BIG SOCIETY.
We started with two verses from God Save the Queen, I don’t know the words I was helpfully told just to move my mouth.
I spent most of the day with them, having lunch in a sea of women who seemed to know how to have a good time.
Estelle had made me a 45 slides so I had a long time to get the message over it was great the Trefoil women have a great sense of humour, they got what its all about, they are in touch with the modern world, with poverty and world economics, there lives have been devoted to doing good stuff.
Afterwards at least 20 women came and told me how easy it would be to plant their campsites and hostels with food, Pam and I would like to talk and plan more with these incredible women. www.trefoilguild.co.uk
We had a great little celebration laid on by our dear Mayor Margareta, she has been fantastic to IET, always supportive. Margareta is Swedish and she knows good grub,

she made us a lovely tea with local food and great wine,

later she announced that IET had won the Todmorden citizen prize for our contribution to the town.
All the visits by celebrities and accolades from big organisations mean nothing compared to the approval of your town.
In my last week of work the Calderdale planting licence was re launched Nick came up trumps with a lorry load of trees and a minibus full of willing planters. We had a lovely spot on the border with Hebdenbridge.

While we were there I found two mole traps so if they belong to anyone reading this they are on the back wall. I didn’t like the idea of trapping blind critters.
In my last week I was promoted to goose watch co-ordinator a task I cherish. I have the goose in question taped off with police tape, she is parked three feet above ground in a planter box outside a very busy pub. Our goose is sitting on 6 eggs and it will be quiet a journey down to the water. The king indoors will build a ramp.
Today I was out looking at my canal side cheeky garden and found a duck behind my fennel she is on 4 eggs so now I have birds on both banks , the two males exhaust themselves chasing each other away, bad planning from these birds .
We have live here 9 years and there has not been a sitting bird before – just in time for Easter?

we went very early to do the garden this morning and its amazing to see the difference between north and south , my garden at home is north I lost a lot , the canal is south and a wall behind , lettuces have overwintered in thick snow everything is at lead 4 weeks ahead yet 50 paces away

some things just have to be done but little said.
Here are some pictures


Rain is now required.