We have had a super winter actually, but there is something about the arrival of spring that just lifts the soul to another plane. The flowers are in full bloom, the fruit trees are covered in fruit flowers and the warm air and blue skies are a joy to behold.

The grass needs cutting, all my pot plants are begging to be re-potted, the goose won't sit on the eggs in the spot I told her to, the weeds are bigger than the veggies, but hey, I'm still happy 'cos it's hot hot hot!! The first time I came to Europe in 1990 I came in the dead of winter and nobody could understand why I would do this rather than come in summer. I had enough summer in South Africa in those days thank you very much, but you wouldn't catch me going anywhere in the winter these days. Give me sunshine and lots of it!!!

We are in the process of making raised beds with enough growing capacity for a whole village, but more about that another time. For now, I'm off to have a bath to wash off some of the mountain of garden soil I am transporting on my person before popping down to visit Dad in the hospital. And that will be followed by a “lekker braai” (or very nice barbeque for the non-South Africans out there). So see ya later alligator.