The blue skies, hot colours and brilliant light are making the Lake District feel like the south of France just now.  Thunder showers pour down, fortunately mostly at night, keeping the grass green and the plants alive, but in the day time the sun beats down remorselessly.  Clearly summer is early this year.  Someone was here from Australia last week and said that he had brought his winter wear here, as it was so much cooler in our summer than their winter, but it does not feel like that.

The swallows have come back in abundance: so many that they have been competing for nesting space.  Last year one pair raised three broods in the eaves, and they seem to like to come back to the place where tey were born.  They have to be kept out of the porch, and if a bedroom window is left open they fly in, then panic when they can't work out how to get out again.  It is a wonderful sight when they are swooping and soaring across the yard, and marvellous to think that they can find their way back here all the way from Africa.  But sadly, there seem to be no fish in the beck this summer, and the number of frogs is greatly reduced.  This must be why the heron and the kingfisher have not been spotted for some time, although the buzzards are regular visitors.

For the first time, one of the crab apple trees in the new woodland bloomed this spring.  It was spectacular and beautiful, but did not last long.  One night of storm and almost all the blossom had gone.  But now the crab apple trees are more evident, and seem to be doing well.  In a few more years they will be a lovely sight when they are all in bloom.  Other trees are achieving a mature look, although only planted in 2005.  Perhaps this is due to the biodegradable mats placed round them when first planted?  Although the difference between the trees in shelters and those without is marked.

Even if the deer do not make an appearance, it is clear they have been around, by the removed bark on the trees, and the hoof marks in the bark around the shrubs.  They are now so bold they are attacking the bark on damson trees just behind the house, and the stark contrast between the (very much smaller) trees not sheltered and those with guards, must be down to them.  Some of those smaller ones will never grow into trees, but are condemned to be only bushes.

Some of the shrubs have been moved closer to the drive, as they were disappearing in the long grass.  As long as the showers continue they will thrive, but the prospect of a drought, which caused the loss of several newly planted trees two years ago, is troubling.  Hopefully they will get established so that any short term shortage of water does not materially affect them.

One set of visitors reported a hare coming right up to their windows - their comment: 'The dog wasn't happy but we were.' 

I shouldn't think I will ever get over how beautiful it is here.