Late April

It has been a glorious time at the site, the weather is stunning although sometimes with chilly evenings.
The blossom on the blackthorn is now starting to bloom but so much later than usual.
Many baby rabbits hopping happily about[ the stoat has not been around yet!] The Live Bird Watch in the shop has been somewhat blurred as the bird has placed a large leafy thing over the camera eye!!
I am getting prepared for Purbeck Art Week, this stats at the end of May for 2 weeks. It is part of Dorset Art Weeks which is a great opportunity to see many artists in their working spaces and galleries throughout the county.

Various

Easter was awful, at least Good Friday through to Saturday, since then everything has brightened and blossomed.
We did a duty at the Burngate Stone Centre stone carving and craft fair and it was well attended, quite a number of people were interested in signing up for classes.
There is a bluetit building a nest in the box with camera, it has been fascinating to watch this on the screen in the shop albeit in black and white and a bit hazey.
That together with my first afternoon with bees, learning at East Dorst Beekeepers apiary, has made for an interesting week.
The site has dried out well and many people have enjoyed near perfect weather over the last few days.

Happy Easter

Extraordinarily the sun was shining most of today and although very cold was glorious.
The picture, I couold not resist, is of the daffs fully opened and in wonderful yellow bloom.
A few twigs have appeared in the nest camera box and a bird was seen inspecting!
The screen is installed in the shop to watch progress.

Approaching Easter

The weather has ben mixed with some really lovely days and latterly some relentless rain. However the daffodils here are now fully out, the picture was taken last week, this week it was too WET to get the camera out!
Easter at the end of next week. People ask us if we book then but it is all on a first come basis at this time of the year.
By the way here is a link to The first Purbeck Walking Festival , should be good.

The Season Begins

We opened yesterday, Friday 12th March.
I t was a fairly good day dry and ALMOST warm! Spent the day setting out the shop and finding out all the things that didn't work, inevitable ater being shut for 4 months and more. As everything has to be drained down and emptied out in case of freezing and other there are always some taps that leak or similar. It was looking pretty good and we had our first visitors arriving by 10.00a.m.
Pictured here the first tent and the first motorvan of 2010.

Springtime

Today has been glorious, one week before we open. Fingers crossed that it will be as good!
The primroses were a delight to discover.
So now, before next Friday, there is a great deal to do , fences to put up again as they have to be taken down in October to save them from winter gales, notices to go up , the water has to be turned on , the tanks filled and the shop stocked.

Last week of Feb.

Today, a miserable, wet, grey and dreary one was conspicuous mostly by the arrival of Jason from Wildlife Windows to put up a bird nest with camera installed. The idea being that we will have in the shop a TV monitor to view nesting birds. This will be quite fun, if any birds decide to take up residence.
The site does NOT look at its best at present and only three weeks until we open. The sheep have gone and so have the workmen, but there is a great deal of tidying up before we welcome the first visitors.
Burngate Stone Centre is to have an Easter craft fair so watch this space for info about that