Suffolk has been kind

Well harvest has long since been and gone and every last bit of green grass has turned yellow. The fields have cavernous cracks in them and the lawns are sandy and arid, resembling a landscape more like Spain or Cyprus than Suffolk. But the world it seems is suffering from extremes and I am grateful for the relative normality that I have and Suffolk still seems able to deliver on sunshine hours and the consistency of sunshine hours and the trees are somehow surviving, turning the landscape into a lavish gold and green.

Never before have I had a summer where I have got used to waking every morning to sunshine. The dichotomy is such a treat. 

Not even in Cornwall, with our unpolluted artist azure skies did waking to sunshine become habitual. And to be truthful august is the 'rainy season' in Cornwall. Popular to book because it is in the middle of the school holidays and expected to be warm, August 'monsoon season' in my eyes. If I had to recommend I would always suggest Feb/March - when Cornwall often has beautiful sunny days and tucked up against the cliff or sea wall .......gorgeous .....

and then June or early July and October when the earth and the sea has had the whole of the summer to warm-up and the days are not yet too short and the leaves are changing and the sun still warm. It is often when the grass has a regrowth  .... perhaps not this year.

In Suffolk, I am still willing the rainy season to start and desperately hoping for some sort of regrowth of grass in October or preferably before. The trees seem to be surviving and we have lots of them. Where they get their moisture from I have no idea and where do all the animals get their water from this year. We see the roe deer and the muntjacs walking across the stubble fields but as I walk the dogs around the plentiful footpaths and ride the horse on the byways, the ditches might be deep and shady but there is no water in them and even the moats have dried up around the Suffolk houses and the ponds that dot the  fields have all but a dribble still left in the bottom of them. 

I have seen pigeons drinking out of the dog bowl, so I have several dog bowls about the garden and Jeffrey my horse has two big water butts to 'share' and there is the birdbath too, which is on the floor, which might help hedgehogs and field voles. However I do worry how the wee small animals are managing. 

The dry ground is turning into quite a challenge for the farmers this year. The land is too dry to plough and get the next crop in, the soil won't break up enough and fine enough to sow the seed and there is no moisture in the ground to feed the seed! That in turn will have an effect on animal feed prices and human food prices, so there are definitely going to be challenges ahead for us all. 

On a more positive note our Piggery which we have been booking-out through Airbnb has been delightfully popular. Suffolk has been kind to me in my new venture of providing overnight accommodation and a token breakfast on your first morning. 

The cabin does look lovely if I say so myself. 

It is light, bright, airy and clean and offers enough kitchen space and utilities to easily provide a meal and a huge TV and two comfortable sofas to collapse on with a good movie in the evening! And the sunshine has meant people can either enjoy cooking outside on the bbq or just sit at the patio table and sip a glass of something in relative tranquility with the paddock and the trees surrounding you.

Most of our guests seem to be people 'escaping' (their words not mine) London for a night or a couple of nights. And we are just perfect for that. Several guests have used us whilst working in the area near Stowmarket or Bury and again we are perfect for them for although set in a rural area we are midway if you are travelling to Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds or Diss. Its a bit further to Norwich and Felixstowe but still do-able from us and if you are holidaying, the coast for a day trip to Aldeburgh or Southwold is only 45 mins away.

And we are a nice place for a romantic evening too, with some good pubs a short drive away and a great vegetarian restaurant nearby, if you don't fancy cooking. The Piggery has a choice of two sofas to cuddle on for a good movie after your meal and a huge bed to snuggle up in after the movie!

All in all, Suffolk has been kind to me and in turn, kind to our guests .......