Willow tree collapsed and basalt sculpture

On Sunday at 10:10, after a night of heavy rain, a big chunk of the weeping willow next to our house fell off.

Broken branch from Wilhelm Leuchner Strasse

Broken trunk below - rotten trunk above

The experts will take a look this week, but I expect a large part will have to be removed.  What a shame, it was a great tree.

Meanwhile in the field across the road, we strolled up to the basalt statue at the edge of the woods.

It is a remarkable place ... very quiet and with lovely views.

Across the fields 

First pea crop

The first load of peas have been collected.  And eaten.

Peas

It looks like there will shed loads more to come, which is no bad thing.

I also had the first of the physalis; it was on the greener side of orange (sort of vanilla yellow) but it tasted pretty good.

Chickens and peas

Good news from the allotments ... the neighbours have got a few chickens in the corner of their plot. Although they have forgotten the names assigned to the chickens by their daughter, they are giving them plenty of TLC.  I love the clucking and crowing in the background.

Chicken (without specific name)

The pea harvest will be a triumph this year.  There was around 90% germination and no pest damage. Fingers crossed for a corresponding crop.

Peas just after planting and germination

Two rows of peas

The pods still need to thicken a bit

I was lucky enough to catch a few minutes in the tiny courtyard garden of the Landmark Hotel in Guangzhou.
It was a lovely quiet corner away from the city rush.

Courtyard garden at the Landmark Hotel in Guangzhou

On the down-side, the dahlias were a complete wash-out, the competition sunflowers all failed to germinate, only one cosmos survived the slug-fest and the chilis look dismal.  At least the apple looks set to produce plenty of apples this year.

And we have harvested loads of white currants (and some red currants), so we are all set for jam making now.