Another gorgeous day - we had breakfast in the morning sunlight outside beside the clematis and the roses - heavenly! I spent the day working on The Orangery, giving it a complete spring clean (or in this case an Autumn clean). The palms are looking wonderful and the last of the oranges need to be picked as the blossoms are starting to burst out again. Orange blossom smells divine. A robin has taken up residence there and he sings to me as I am working. http://www.walesholidaycottages.com/

We fed the carp in the pond, put some more eggs in the incubator to hatch and cut the grass really short. The swallows are still here, swooping low over the bottom pond - they will take off any time now. They all gather in the big pine tree beside Wheatsheaf cottage and then the next day they are gone.

Friends popped in last evening to pick some of the huge yellow raspberries by the pond and I gave them some apples from the orchard. I made apple crumble with butter and chopped hazlenuts in the topping which went down pretty well.