Five Things

- that have made me happy lately

You don’t really have to look very hard to see that there are a lot of not-so-great things going on in the world. It can all be a bit depressing sometimes! To balance out all the crapness, I think it is important to actively look for the good things in life too. So without further ado, here are five little things that have been making me happy lately:

1. The Cake Cupboard

You know it’s tourist season when the Cake Cupboard is open for business again!

I wouldn’t say I’m obsessed with “clean eating” or whatever the latest catchphrase is for caring about what you put into your body, but I bake almost all my own bread, biscuits and cakes, because I prefer it and so that I know what’s in them. I make an exception for Heather’s Rocky Road though – it is just so good!

I also love living in a place where people trust each other enough to rely on honesty boxes for payment.

2. Free jars!

We were in the hotel recently delivering oysters, and I spotted a few 2-litre glass jars of pickles sitting on a shelf. I asked the chef if I could have some of them when they were empty – they’re a great size for storing stuff in. He gave me an empty one that was hiding at the back of a shelf, and I’ll go back up some other time to see if there are any more available. You can never have too many jars!

(We had an exchange student from Austria staying with us at the time, and this prompted him to comment “You really like jars!” Yes. Yes I do.)

3. This Commute

Okay, it doesn’t all look like this! Most of my cycle to and from work is along the road, but there is a little section where I take a detour through the woods, rather than staying on the road. At this time of year and in this weather with the sun shining and the scent of the bluebells, it is just lovely.

4. Natural Pest Control

The local Song Thrushes (Turdus philomelos) have been busy, and the back path in the garden is littered with broken snail shells. I love hearing the thunk! thunk! as they bash the shells open, while I’m working in the garden. It’s not quite so great at 4.30am on the path just underneath the bedroom window but hey, as long as my lettuces and cabbages don’t all get munched, I can’t complain too much!

5. Furry Sausages

Yes, you read that right! I’ve come across a good number of furry sausages recently, more technically known as the caterpillars of the Drinker moth (Euthrix potatoria). There have been a few hanging out in the polytunnel, and I stopped to escort one across the road while cycling home from work last week. The one pictured below has just moulted, and is approaching maximum sausage-ness. The caterpillars will pupate soon, and will emerge as equally furry, but less sausage-shaped, adult moths.

(Other furry sausages are available, such as the Oak Eggar (Lasiocampa quercus) and Fox Moth (Macrothylacia rubi), but the Drinkers are my personal favourites.)

I’d love you to tell me some of the little things that have made you happy recently. And here’s a bonus song for you too :-)

Have a great weekend!

---

Moth of the Week: Ruby Tiger (Phragmatobia fuliginosa)

Did you hear this moth mentioned in the song above? It’s a common species throughout Britain, being found in gardens, open woodland, moorland, sand dunes and meadows. The “ruby” part of the name comes from the red forewings, although the further north you go, the darker the moth is. There are two generations in the south and one in the north, and individuals can sometimes be seen flying on sunny days.

---

Posts here are always going to be free, but if you like what I write and/or find it useful, I’ve added a ko-fi button below if you want to show your appreciation. Thank you to everyone who has already contributed! xx

---