FreeForestGifts

this is an elderberry tree

i found it in the forest

and remembered the variety of ways this was used

when i visited europe

elderflower wine, elderflower cordial

and then later elderberry wine

i harvested a bowl full of flowers and made a very fragrant cordial

i took a suacepan and filled it with 1.5 litres of water 

and poured in 2 kilos of sugar

while this was brought to the boil, i occasionally stirred it.

in a large bowl i placed the elderberry flower heads

pared the skin of a couple of lemons

tossed them into the bowl

then sliced up the lemons and also tossed them into the bowl

when the syrup water was boiling 

i poured it over the elderberry flower heads

and put in a small container (75gr) of citric acid

i covered the bowl with a cloth and put it away for 24 hours

next day i sieved it through a cloth

and poured it into clean glass bottles

then put it away for a sunny summer's day

'every roadside is suitable for planting fruit trees'

FieldBreadStacks

everywhere i go at the moment

the farmers are cutting their hay 

rolling it up and and 

storing it in plastic wraps

I can't help but thinking of times past

when there were haystacks

that smelled of sweet, sweet, grass

'Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now'