One of my favourite people in the whole world is my friend Brenda Dayne.

I am really happy because this week I am staying with Brenda.

Today we spent the entire day walking in the sunshine. We forgot to bring water or sunscreen and I got horribly sunburnt but I really, really don’t care. It was just beautiful to feel the warm sun on my face and to admire the outrageous beauty of spring.

O sun and colours, I have missed you so, so much. Please stay here for a very long time so I can take millions of photos of all your splendour.

Magnolias. Is there anything more PETAL-Y, if that is even a word?

And what about all the loveliness that can be found just by poking about in the beds at Stackpole Walled Gardens…

Walking out further – towards the cliffs – we encountered other wondrous signs of spring and the amazing effects of sunlight.

Tired and scorched and weary and happy, we made our way back home.

I sat on the stones at the edge of Brenda’s garden rubbing cream into my shoulders just listening and watching.

Jasper (the cat) stalked the chickens. Truman (the dog) barked every now and then. Martha, Marianne and Eleanor (the chickens) pecked about in the dirt. Tonia’s tools went sh sh sh on the whetstone. A bird (perhaps a songthrush) filled the air with lusty melodies.

It was a really great day.

I love that Brenda and I can knit together; that we can argue and cook and laugh and talk and talk and talk; that we can work together on making albums and retreats. But maybe the thing that makes all that other stuff so amazing is that we can also have days like this.

Hilary and my Granny would have loved it.