New Arrivals On The Lake.

It was raining for a short while this morning when I woke before dawn. Looking out of the window I could see a little pipistrelle bat flitting about in the half light. (Apparently they have different winter and summer roosts both of which are protected by law.) Having to get up early one or two mornings a week makes me appreciate all the other mornings when I can chose to have a lie-in if I want. I taught the older children in the morning, poor things they are already practising for their SATs tests, our government is obsessed with facts and figures and the children are tested at 7, 11 and 13. The results are simply used to judge if a school has reached expectations and has improved on previous years. In the afternoon it was the youngest children. It was nice and sunny so we went out on the field for playtime, (most of the year the field is too muddy). There was a lovely scene when about a dozen children were chasing a pair of butterflies that were too engrossed in their courtship dance to fly more than 5ft above the ground. Back home I was met by my neighbours' boy who usually comes visiting with the 2 dogs as soon as I get home. He came with the news that the geese had hatched themselves 3 little goslings. Fred the dalmation got a good telling off from me when he chased poor old Smudge who needed lots of cuddles when I eventually went indoors. The forecast is for the weather to become colder, wetter and windier so I dug dandelions and mowed & strimmed the last bank. Bowling Green the lawns are definitely not but at least they look tidy.