Monday is the day I go to the Dingley Dell Community Radio Station to present my afternoon show. It is called "Razmattaz" and is a mixture of music and words. The music is drawn from the 1900s up to the 1970s,and the words can either be stories, poetry or interviews. I love broadcasting to my Dingley Dell public. They send in requests, phone me or occasionally use their electronic letter boxes to send me a comment or a message. Yesterday was rather a quiet day. I only had two requests and 1 message to sort out. The rest of the show consisted of musical stars of the 40s and 50s, a short story,my poem for today and a pre-recorded interview with a lady from the local Green Dingley Dell Committee. The two hour showtime passes very quickly,and I always finish wanting to do a little more.Yesterday's show felt very worthy,as we discussed ways for elven folk to reduce their carbon fotprint. We faeries care just as much as anyone about our environment. Our very souls are linked to ,and in tune with the elements of our world. I came home to the toadstool feeling that Pendragon and I still need to do more to play our part. Further re-cycling is one option, and ridding ourselves of any plastic bags which have unwittingly found their way into our toadstool sanctuary. Growing at least some of our own vegetables is another idea I want to explore. We don't have lots of growing area at the back of the toadstool,but there are ways and means to use pots to grow herbs and patio vegetables. I must talk this matter over with Pendragon soon, and of course,run it by Mandolini,our leading backyard gnome. He and the other gnomes have been getting mighty wet out there over the past two days.Rain or shine - they still seem to be out there, tools in hand. Such dedication should surely be rewarded. I must remember to smile and say hello to each and every one of them when I start my planting tomorrow. Will the rain ever end ? Will the wind ever finally die down ? Although I love all facets of our weather conditions,and believe they are all needed to give us the fine growing conditions that Dingley Dell needs,a little more of the warmer stuff would be appreciated. The birds who visit our toadstool garden are still looking for lots of fatty scraps to feed themselves on, and any new babies which are no doubt now around. Our front garden has lots of hanging feeders with a choice of delicacy in each, but it is the fatty mixtures they seem to squabble over. A pair of robins fly regularly to our bird cottage in the back garden. They always come down at twilight to avoid having to vie with other bigger birds. I would love to know if they are nesting close by,and if there are any little robins there yet. The male robin is far bolder than the female. He always arrives first,she flying more diffidently behind,as he scrambles around looking for the best pickings. I can watch their antics from the kitchen window, as they hang upside down from the peanut holder, and hop from one pile of seeds to the next.Our front garden looks really beautiful today ,as the overnight rainfall has made everything bolder in colour. Bright yellow and purple pansies and white and pink primulas are fluttering in the blustery air.
Blue clematis is starting to wrap its way around the green trellis bench under the window, and our small japanese maple is starting to show leaf.Nothing needs my faery paintbrush as each plant has beauty enough of its own. The lawn however is also growing rather too speedily. Pendragon will have to be cajoled into sharpening his scythe and making a small sojourn outside before the end of this week. He doesn't like working in the rain,but if I leave out his stout sou'wester and his green pointy wellingtons at the front door ,I think he will get the message. A bit of buttering up with his favourite chickpea stew should clinch the deal.We saw Gumble the gnome last night, our erstwhile dweller in number 4. He appeared under cover of darkness at 9pm, stayed about half an hour,and then left again. We could hear him shuffling around,and occasional bumps and jumps were noted.His grass grows ever higher in his absence now and his toadstool looks sadder than ever.Toadstools need to be loved and cared for.They lose their colour and their definition without a dweller, and if he does not return to cut his grass soon, who knows ?- maybe they disappear altogether.Nobby Shilpit has been seen,hovering by Gumble's gate, with a quizzical look on his chubby face.I am not sure if he knows that Gumble has gone, or if he is working out what he can interfere with in number 4.On the other side in number 6, the Primpoles seem to be organising to take a trip somewhere in their four-wheeled tent. They do this by throwing everything out on to the pavement that they are taking with them,then proceed to pack the four- wheeled tent in full view of the neighbourhood.At least it saves us from having to peer through its windows just to see what's inside.They will be off to the high country with their wildebeests in tow,to reap havoc in mountainous villages far and wide. I am ashamed to say that I may be secretly nurturing the hope that they may lose the beasts in some forest along the way, or that their explorations could mean a vastly extended absence from the avenue .For however long, peace will reign, and I can walk the highways and byways in our street, without fearing for my life. Love and raindrops to you all my friends. From the Rainbow Faery.