Butterflies and things

On Saturday as it was a lovely day despite the wind, I decided to get on with recovering my fruit cage. I have had the top covering for some time. As it is a large cage 18 paces long and 4 paces wide I thought my mate might help me but he told me that he didn't know if he would be here this coming week. Knowing the  unpredictable weather we can have I decided to do this myself. I started soon after 9.00am and took my time although I didn't stop for a drink at all.
 It was surprisingly easy, well it would have been if the supplier had sent the correct size of mesh I ordered. I ordered 13metres by 3 metres. They sent 13 metres by 2 metres. This made the job more difficult. I managed to get the majority of it completed by 1.00pm and after my dinner finished the job by 3.30pm. except for a few gaps which I did on Sunday, so hopefully the Blackbirds will be excluded.
 I was pleased I did this myself because if I had asked my mate to help me it would have taken much more time than he has here so it would have been that he would have had to leave the job unfinished which he hates to do for if he was at College on a course he would have had to left me early.
 While I was busy messing around I was surprised to see a Painted Lady butterfly, they do not breed in this Country, they migrate from the Continent when the wind is favourable. Well it certainly has been favourable for them. They want an east wind to assist them over the Channel. We have had weeks of easterly gales and strong winds this year.
 A little later I saw a Small Tortioshell, this didn't surprise me as they will over winter here. Much later I saw a Peacock butterfly also. It goes to show that some have managed to over winter here. Pity the lateness of Spring means that there are few flowers producing nectar for the butterflies. I have plenty of polyanthus and daffodils but the nectar is not good especially with the polyanthus.
 I noticed that in my Greenhouse the Grape Vine has began to show signs of life, I have reduced the size of it and pruned some of the side shoots that would produce grapes. I intend to finally have no more than a dozen or so bunches of grapes. They tend to be small and of course are seeded. Had I been a younger and fitter man, I would have removed the vine and looked for a seedless grape vine, not easy to find though.
finally these last few days have encouraged one or two of my Broccoli plants to grow so tomorrow I will, hopefully have my first feed of Broccoli this year. More soon.