Wild winds and Bluebells ......

'It's true' said Aunt Mildred 'you can feel the trees waking up, look at the way they are tossing their leaves in the wind!'

'I don't know about you Mildred, but I can't wait any longer, I am going up now!' And with that Uncle Humperdinck bounded away and started climbing up the ivy staircase on the old oak tree, the one that stood in the big field at the edge of the forest.

Aunt Mildred laughed, she had fallen on love with Uncle Humperdinck and his tree climbing skills many years before, 'mind how you go, bit of a gale blowing'. Uncle Humperdinck laughed, 'all the better for that - nothing like a good ride in a wild tree!'

Free Gnomes (that is gnomes who can live as they like and don't have to stay in human gardens) love nothing better then riding out a storm or a wild wind by sitting high up in a big tree. They love  feeling the freedom to sing as loud as they like as the wind roars all around and tosses the leaves and branches.

Sometimes, nimble as he was, Uncle Humperdinck had had to tie himself onto a branch with his scarf and wrap his beard inside his waistcoat, particularly if he was trying to unwrap a mint humbug or snaffle a flapjack. For as he was prone to saying, 'never does to let the mind wander when sitting on a high branch!'

Aunt Mildred pulled her hat over her ears and tucked the ends of her shawl into the band of her skirt. 'Best be on my way if I am going to check on the bluebells.' She hurried off along the path and arrived at the dell just as dusk began to fall.

'Oh my, it does my heart such good to see them!' She stood and being just the right height, sniffed the delicate scent and marvelled at how even the air around her seemed to be filled with a brilliant blue light. 'Perhaps a little sit down might be lovely'.

Soon however Aunt Mildred found herself lying down on the softest bright green moss and gazing up into the nodding heads of the bluebells. 'Just heavenly,' she thought as she gently drifted off into the happiest of dozes.

The Mushroom Hunt!

'Good morning Deary Do, time for a spot of mushroom picking, lovely and damp this morning, perfect time for harvesting!' Hortensia stood by the front door well wrapped up against the cold and with two empty baskets, a knapsack stuffed with pairs of gloves, shortbread and a thick rug. 

'All ready, I can smell mushrooms in the air!' Stephanotis was looking jaunty in a new yellow and green stripped jumper (knitted of course by Aunt Mildred) topped off by a matching hat with a large yellow pom pom on top. 

'Archibold is just on his way, he has been up since first light sorting out his collection of seeds and is running a little late.' Hortensia knew that Stephanotis would understand, much as gnomes hate being late, starting and finishing sorting out a seed collection was a forgivable reason to be a little late.

Soon there was a thunder of boots on the stairs and Archibold burst into the hallway 'Everything tickety boo? Right we are, time to be on our way!'

Eleanora and Baby Harriet waved good bye from an upstairs window 'Well My Darling, the house is ours, peace at last!' Baby Harriet gurgled with anticipation, time alone with her precious Aunt was always an unexpected treat.

'First things first, perhaps we should try by the old oak to start, saw a dog with good nose sniffing there last week - sure sign that mushrooms are on the way!' Archibold set off a brisk pace, 'watch where you put your feet, still a bit nippy with the frost, '

Gnomes love gathering mushrooms, the smells of earth and fungi, bark and moss all combined to make an intoxicating and exciting adventure. 'Such a lovely morning, just perfect!' Hortensia was looking up at the trees 'the buds are already forming and the trees waking up, Spring, My Darlings, Spring is in the air!'

So as gentle spring sunshine did indeed warm the air, the three friends carried on their way, happy and excited and looking forward to mushrooms for tea!

The Annual Meeting, humbugs and general excitement ......

'So cold outside, cold enough to freeze a rabbits whiskers!' Archibold huffed and stamped his feet on Aunt Mildred's door mat, 'good thing we are having the meeting here, we'd have frozen to death in the glade!' Almost all the pegs on the coat rack were covered in coats and jackets, mufflers and a wild collection of outside hats, 'Must be the last one here" said Archibold winking at Hortensia as he put on his soft green inside hat, 'best be nippy drinking my tea!'

'Everyone seems to be here' Hortensia whispered to Aunt Mildred 'let's give them a few more minutes to settle and then we can begin!'

Soon a general hush came over the gnomes, probably helped along by the most excellent tea of summer meadow flowers and the moist honest cake that Aunt Mildred had passed around, as a warm up against any lingering effects from the cold.

'Today as you know is the day of our Annual General Meeting' Humperdinck was looking splendid in his best waistcoat embroidered with honeysuckle and wild roses, ' a chance for us all to plan ahead and to look back on the previous year's activities, so it is with great pleasure that I welcome this year's  Daisy King - Archimedes Bonaparte, to open proceedings!'

Poor Archimedes had to be helped to his feet, as the journey from his island home had brought on a bought of stiffness. 'New jar of lineament for you Archie - and I'll rub it in your knees myself!' Aunt Mildred looked fierce and protective, Archimedes smiled gently at her as he cleared his throat, patted his pockets till he found his speech carefully written out in his curly writing, and began to speak.

'My Dear Friends, it is with great pleasure that I open this meeting and welcome you all to the comforts of Mildred and Humperdinck's home. This is when we plan our year ahead; The Midsummer Revels, any expeditions, who is to go to the local garden centres for work experience, building projects and of course, to consider which gardens we wish to maintain.'

'Goes with out saying that we will look after Mrs Partridge's garden' there was a general murmur of agreement as Aunt Mildred continued, 'she is our friend and protector, without her we wouldn't know that we are safe here!'

'Too true My Dear, too true and indeed, I am sure that we all agree on maintaining her garden as a matter of great importance!' Mrs Partridge is most unusual in that she is our only human friend, true a few of the other humans still put out statues of us and welcome us as guardians of their gardens, but we do not know them as friends and are probably best choosing carefully who to help.'

Archibold stood up, 'before we make a list of gardens, can we discuss visiting Hector in the city, a grand expedition to see his balcony cactus garden again, perhaps combined with a wild planting trip along the railway?' Well, that was that, any plans for an agenda had to wait as Stephanotis leapt to his feet, 'put your hands up if you are interested in an expedition?'

'No shoving, plenty of time to be excited, calm down, SIT!' Archibold bellowed in his best fierce voice, usually reserved for telling off rabbits when they ate his flowers, 'Perhaps we can agree on a separate planning meeting for an expedition?'

'Jolly good idea' said Archimedes as he quickly sat down, 'perhaps it is time for a humbug and a little thinking?' and with that the assembled gnomes calmed themselves as they passed around the mint humbugs and began to loudly suck on them and considered what to plan next!