Here's the thing. Thoughts will soon be turning to Village events for the Summer and the Diamond Jubilee. For some time now the Village has seemed to be in a state of suspended animation. A few years ago, the Village attended an exhibition proposing a new housing development on the old Mushroom farm. Now, I don't know all the ins and outs, but the planning application was declined at first. Then it was revised and accepted. We attended another exhibition and all agreed a way forward. But since then, all has gone quiet. No new houses, and no new cricket pavilion either. Shame that.
I think the footpath and the grazing land on the Cyder House field has been saved from the Developers for the Village and the neighbours.
The Village also has the lovely Jubilee Field. Wouldn't it be nice if we could use it as a community farm or allotment? Or for bee-keeping? Again, I'm not sure about the etiquette for proposing such a thing, but if I keep talking about it, perhaps I will find a sympathetic ear.
I do have another idea, too. Why don't we have a Cake and Crafts stall at the Village Fete? There are a few really clever people who can make cards, candles and gift tags, for example.
Now, what have the Boxers been up to? Well, the snow was fun for them. They don't really mind the cold and wet as long as they get a rub down afterwards. They stand, legs apart, eyes glazed over, very obedient as I towel them off. But two things have upset them this week. The first - pheasants, how dare they? Two of them in the garden this morning so annoyed the dogs that they took it out on their day bed and destroyed the last of the bedding. So I have removed the day bed from the conservatory and left them with just a mat.
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The second thing to annoy them was the first hot air balloon of the season. The balloon makes a curious noise as it lifts off from the Farm, whoosh whoosh. A brightly coloured flying thing. The big big dog does his best high-pitched bark, running to and fro until the balloon is up, up and away.
This afternoon we met up with the professional dog walker. I do hope she will still want to walk the boys while they are in kennels. They weren't that well behaved, not aggressive in any way, just really distracted by Jaffa and Louis, the black labs from the Polo ground. We did a new walk over at the Hampton Estate, a lovely circular, wooded walk. The boys have been at the hosepipe for half an hour and I've had a nice cup of tea. Bet they sleep well tonight!