marvellous spring

lovely balmy weeks, everything is bursting out and a month before the usual time, peas, cherries all look good, especially as all were a month or more late last year. We badly needed rain - that's the problem with lovely warm times - but the cold front arrived yesterday with vengeance, nasty winds and maybe enough rains. Not too cold - though today in Siklós there was hail,which is weird as it wasn't the usual hot summer conditions for it, no thunder and stuff like that. Anyway, it seems, no damage was done. Moxie seems definitely pregs, very big and Lujo the sheep chap is sure, and says it is not too late. Erzsi is looking after our freshly hatched new lot of running ducks and chicks, goose and Guinea fowls eggs just been put in the incubator, exciting times, even if we won't fully participate until June, as we'll have about a week in Budapest, then foursome friend arrive from the UK, and then we go to spend some time in Italy with Martin and Sharon, staying in Vicenza. I manage to give three trays (90) eggs for this year's easter egg-collections, pleased with that. It'll happen in "this" yard, not in front of the hostel house, as the ducks are there. We have more nooks and crannies here for hiding eggs and no ducks mess. And easier to serve the elderberry drink with the cakes. Happy Easter eggcollection to you all!! Alan is working flat out going to paint the house outside, including the bit that look sort of rustic behind the new to us bench which also need painting. Decided not to ask Soppi who haven't done as good a job as it looked a t first glance, never mind. Fotos show how nice the raspberries and grapes doing and even the fence is greening out at the chicken run.