Cuckoo

I thought I would post this photo to show just how large my back garden is.

This apple tree called Sunset, a similar flavour to Cox but more prolific in the North and more reliable than Cox. As you can see it is full of blossom, just like every year but last year it had the disease called Apple Scab so have been spraying it. I hope it works because the apples didn't store at all and I had to discard most of them before Christmas.

This morning I did some more bread rolls, I thought you would like to see them. I generally get a packet of fresh yeast from Morrison's, there are 4 individual foil sealed portions on a tray. They cost 50p and I use 1 portion for each batch I do. I use in old fashioned weights 1lb of strong plain flour, a small teaspoonful of salt  1 portion of yeast and some olive oil, about a dessertspoon full. I use 1/2 pint of water pour water into the Kenwood major mixing bowl then put the dry ingredients in the bowl and mix, letting it mix for about 20 minutes. If the mixture is too wet, add a little more flour. I try to make the mixture as wet as a can. After 20 minutes I take the dough out of the bowl, let it stand while I clean the bowl, then cut them into 15 individual portions. Unfortunately I do not have a pair scales so they are not equal sizes. I then shape them by rolling them in each palm, then pin them, that is roll them flat, trying to keep the round shape with a rolling pin, put them on a well greased baking tray then put them in a home made proving cabinet. After 20 or so minutes I light the oven and after another 10 minutes or so, when the rolls have doubled in size I get them in a hot oven. They generally double in size once in the oven. I cook them for about 20 minutes, so it doesn't take long to do 15 rolls                                                             

On Friday morning I was out in the garden, it was not warm and the wind was strong and off the cold North Sea. I was pleasantly surprised to hear a Cuckoo, the first time I have heard  one call for a few years. hen I first came here in 1993 you could guarantee to hear several Cuckoos calling out but to be honest I thought I had heard the last call. Pleased I was wrong.               

It was nice to hear the sound for as children it was a common call that in April they would arrive and be gone by the end of May, the first sign would be the call would not be as it should be but stuttering. More soon.