What's happening

Didn't go to rehearsal - and typically I found out that we'd tackled the hardest bit of the African Sanctus. Sigh.

So I got up early yesterday and trundled into Sheffield for the final rehearsal of Gloria before the concert at 1pm - and ended up late due to stupid public transport.

Still wasn't feeling well, but on the plus side my nerves about the solo evaporated, and I killed off the last of them with two cups of chamomile tea at lunchtime, so by the time the concert started I was completely calm.

And the solo went fine, I didn't mess it up. I've done it better, especially as I had a very dry mouth, but it was okay. Harriet seemed pleased, and everyone was complimentary - mostly about the power I somehow have. I'd be happy to sing solo again.

Today I woke with a sore throat, cough, and blocked nose, and the dodgy stomach's still here, and I genenrally feel very tired and drained. So I cried off singing at AltoSarah's wedding, which I feel horribly guilty about as she's my friend, and just helped Michael finish off the second veg bed. Topsoil dug in, compost added, string dividing the plot into 1' squares stapled. Also onions and garlic planted. I meant to sort out some kind of support for the peas and put them in because they are practically exploding out of their pots right now, but it's too cold and I'm tired.

The robin has been a constant companion out there, getting quite bold and feeding just a few feet away from us. There's actually two males visiting, whenever they see each other they get quite aggressive and chase each other - luckily one of them always gives up and flies away, so it doesn't escalate into a full-on fight.

I've been watching our resident blackbird (yes I can recognise him) flying into the beech hedge which separates the orchard from the main garden with a great beakfuls of worms for maybe a week now, and yesterday I decided to see if I could find the nest. And I found it - because the hedge doesn't have new leaves on it yet (only the old dead ones from last year) it's really obvious when you know where to look. Such a neat little thing, made with twigs and bits of plastic(!) lined with mud and grass. As we worked today I kept hearing chicks getting fed, and actually saw them a couple of times by sneaking up. There's two of them, cute little brown feathery things, and they probably won't be much longer before they fledge. First baby birds this year!

Saw the first swallows and house martins of the year on Tuesday too, swooping over Linacre Reservoir. We're definitely well into spring - if only the sun would come out, because it's really cold at the moment.