Very warm today. I took myself off to the workshop garden and settled down to play with willow. Here is how you start an Irish base...
First pierce three or four sticks.
Then thread them on a bodkin to open the gap.
Push four more sticks into the slit.
Bind them together with a pairing weave (two weavers twisted in front and behind each stick).
What you don’t want to do though is break one of the split sticks as the weaving increases! One of the few occasions when you can’t replace the piece... After much cursing I’d decided the only thing to do was abandon the project. Then later, a lightbulb! I could bind it. Tomorrow.
So as it was so pleasant just sitting I took up my camera and snapped the feathered friends. Himself, proud and imposing goose stepping around the wives.
A baked blackbird panting and sunbathing.
The Great Tit is onto me though. He poses quite still with caterpillar in beak outside the hole in the wall until, that is, I raise the appareil to get him in focus.
You’ll have to make do with their chink!
First sweet peas, oriental poppies - orange white and plum.
More Tawny owl on the picture album. This was at 9pm.
