Author Archives: Hannah

Pumpkin problems

Something has been eating our pumpkins! We had a prize specimen of which we were very proud. It was getting fatter by the day and turning a fabulous golden orange. But one day it had some teeth marks in it … Continue reading

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September

The festivity that occupies the majority of Steve Roud’s chapter on September in his book, The English Year, is Harvest Festival. We have some friends who lived for a while in America and every year they celebrate Thanksgiving. While I’m … Continue reading

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Rain

Yesterday evening dark rain clouds gathered and the heavens opened. Water rattled along the gutters and rushed through the downpipes. Our water butt was quickly full to overflowing. We have a funny old lean-to on the back of our house … Continue reading

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Blossom End Rot

Things have gone very wrong with our tomatoes. We’ve had tons but the majority are marked by the same brown rash. It’s called Blossom End Rot. It’s a physiological problem caused by a lack of calcium getting to the fruit. … Continue reading

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Leftovers

Finch is at the stage where he wants to have a go at feeding himself and it’s a messy business. For someone like me, with a strong food waste conscience, it’s just about unbearable to watch. We spread a big … Continue reading

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Tying shoelaces

Little Owl’s new shoes are lace-ups so we are trying to teach her to tie them herself. I hadn’t given any thought to the multitude of ways you can tie a bow on a pair of shoes. Big Dreamer and … Continue reading

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Variation

Hanging out the washing in the morning there’s a definite freshness to the air that wasn’t there a week or so ago. On a walk in the hills above our house this weekend we spotted an enormous painted lady butterfly … Continue reading

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Expecting…again!

There is only one word for last week and that is NOROVIRUS. I’ll say no more. It was awful. This morning Little Owl returned to school, every possible surface name-labeled except her forehead. I’m now sat at my desk with … Continue reading

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Inspiration

Paralysed by a huge and complimentary commission recently I was advised by a wonderful friend to go and delve into something inspiring that wasn’t illustration. The illustration world can be a bit ‘cool’ sometimes and that’s the last thing you … Continue reading

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August

It is already the 12th of August – where is time going? Before the month flies past I dip into my seasonal reading again. Stephen Moss, in his book Wild Hares and Hummingbirds, describes August as “the height of summer: … Continue reading

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