round Scotchers bottom, down and up the valley, and back through the woods via the rising. I saw the first swallow. … zfl zwk zwl
The windows shook a lot in the evening, and we saw a glare towards Portsmouth and Chichester, saw AA shells bursting and heard a few bombs (not nearly as many as we felt). zar zad
Sunday 20th
… while I was investigating an old nest in one of the fir trees at the orchard end, I found what a marvellous smell it had, so took several sprigs and hung them in my house. zwl zgk
Tuesday 22nd
A perfect day, bright sunshine all the time and only a very slight breeze. In the morning I cleaned out the big father rabbit’s cage, and then we put the other five outside in a run made by Margaret to fit against a hen coop. After that I built up stands for a bench on which to place the father rabbit outside, in the third pigsty … zwr zdc zpt zfl
After lunch I puttied and pitched the roof of my house, getting my legs, hands, face, chest, and my right arm very pitchy. I had three baths, which anyway spread the pitch evenly all over me and the bath. Then I cleaned the bath. Then we had tea … zdc
Green patches are becoming more and more frequent in the woods, and all the blossom is coming out. zwl
Thursday 24th
… I went down to the stream above the lake, and was following a water vole’s course under water, when, as it disappeared, I heard a big splash behind. I looked, and saw Tinker with his head under water. I thought he slipped, but he reappeared with a real water-vole in his mouth! He took it up the bank, and, looking as if he wasn’t sure what to do, half-heartedly shook it. He then proceeded to play with it like a cat, so I went to get a stone to finish it off. Before I got there Tinker had. He was immensely proud all day. When I got back I mixed up fat and sugar for cakes. … zwl zpt zdc
