At last a sunny day,but it's just a pity I have not had much free time to enjoy it. I waved goodbye to Pendragon this morning at 7.30 am ,and was dressed,breakfasted and on the road to Brigantia,across the Big Water by 9.00am. I used to live in Brigantia before I met Pendragon, and still have my toadstool there ,to look after. It is the second toadstool to the left in Sweet William Road. At the moment I am organising some improvements there before letting it to a worthy elven family,who need a modern little place in which to put down some roots . I go there two or three times a week at the moment, to see how the work is going. Slow,seems to be the apt describing word. I am having the cookhouse renovated, but it seems that the contractors are working on more than one toadstool at a time, so some days they don't appear at all, and when I want to consult them, they are not there.I am sure it will all come together in the fullness of time. After the kitchen is finished the bathing facilities are to be updated. More temporary mess,but the end result should be very pleasing. After my lunchly repast,I returned to Dingley Dell, back across the Big Water, with just 15 minutes to spare, to begin my "Razmattaz" show at Dingley Dell Community Radio. There were some requests waiting for me, but thankfully Wally Wintergreen,the studio assistant, a very busy young brownie, had looked out the music I needed, and put them in order on my playlist sheet. So all went smoothly, and with the sun quite warm and sunny outside, I was in very positive form during my 2 hour stint. Wally has been the soul of help since he joined the radio team, but I am sure he is just waiting for the day when wind or avalanche,or act of warlock, detains me long enough for Him to be called to fill my hot seat. I cannot blame him, he is young and enthusiastic,and full of an earthy zest, for fame or notoriety, across the airwaves. I am sure his time will come.Till then,his eagerness is my gain ,as he adds a great deal to the necessary efficiency in the studio. I walked back up the hill, with the music still in my ears and in my soul. The large pile of housework tasks awaiting me did,however ,rather cut my feelings of goodwill to all faery kind, back in size. Pressing Pendragon's doublet and hose,as he is sure to need them tomorrow, making a parsnip and celeriac pie for supper, collecting together last week's Daily Scandals for recycling, and washing and mangling our weekend clothes ready for another outing. All done with an hour to spare. So time to enjoy a little acorn coffee and a slice of medler jelly tart.These are heady days.I am beginning to enjoy my freedom every day to drive my own life force,work as hard or as little as I please, and steer my own star in whatever creative direction I wish. Pendragon says I am starting to smile more, laugh more and present a far more congenial front when he comes home.There are times when I do miss my erstwhile career, at Dingley Dell Academy, but only when I think of the wee sprites, or some activity we did together which was joyously bonding,or exciting, or successful. I don't miss the daily grind, the problems needing solved,the capricious moods of staff or the endless new initiatives when the steam on the old ones has only just gone cold.I am planning a visit in the fullness of time, possibly just before they have their long summer solstice break. Certainly close enough to the holiday break, to find them in good spirits, rather than moaning endlessly about things they cannot change. I would liek them to know how happy I am, and how unimportant some of the issues they regularly grieve over,are, when you step away from them . Teachers give their all and more,with such high expectation for the realisation of their dreams, that they are always surely to be disappointed.You do the job because you care, but sometimes I think we care to an impossible degree.We are the Don Quixotes of the educational world, endlessly tilting at windmills, when as grown ups and intelligent grown ups to boot, we should look at our world and its systems with a bit more perception and a degree of cynicism. Having said that, I didn't do that when I was teaching, and I really would not change very much about my career. When the minds and hearts of young sprites are involved , you have to show them the power of dreams, and you have to fuel them with a purpose to make their own dreams come true.Not much room for cynicism there. I think the medler jelly tart has put me in a philosophical mood. Who knows where that will end ? Tomorrow I am going back to the Shop of the Jolly Woodman for more garden supplies, seeing the Faery Physio for some exercises to heal my tendonitis, and checking on the "Backyard Boys", (Mandolini,Pianolo, Basso Profundo and Verde). They have been in the garden solidly,as the rain has poured down mercilessly and I just want to check that they have not come to grief. They are such stout gnomes and true, that I am sure it would take more than an April plout to wipe them out. Pendragon will be home soon,no doubt to tell me,how much he has missed me, and can he have another helping of greens. Well, at least the first part is correct. A happy blue-skied evening to you all my friends, and much green munching before the day is out. From Amarantha, the Rainbow Faery.