A good hare day

Pulmonaria officinalis, Lungwort, Jerusalem cowslip, Jacob's coat, Soldiers and sailors, Mary-spilt-the-milk.

To my surprise, when I looked it up in the marvellous "Flora Britannica" by Richard Mabey, I discovered that it is one of the Borage family.

A family which also includes a far more impressively useful species of plants: the comfreys (Symphytum spp.). 

Comfrey is also known as Knitbone, Bone-set, Nip-bone and Ass-ear, Mabey cites many historical and contemporary tales of its use to heal wounds, sprains, bruises and abrasions, to help set broken bones (grated roots were set in a plaster-like case around the afflicted limb), to ease back pain, draw splinters, and the leaves were even used to line the wooden clogs of cotton-mill workers in 19th Century Manchester to ease their aching feet.

I use comfrey to make a liquid fertiliser for my tomato, strawberry and sweetcorn plants in summer. It is a magical plant for that reason alone Chez M&B, but I shall consider its other uses should I ever be in need.

Bean returned to the long paddock at lunchtime, once more full of expectation of chancing on a hare. 

And today she was in luck. Not one, not two, but three hares were encountered as we walked around S&N's property. Conveniently they were in different paddocks, so Bean had time to catch her breath a little bit between chases.

I mentioned the other day that she doesn't have much explosive power and energy any more. She proved me completely wrong today. She went after each hare at full tilt for 100+ metres until they disappeared through a gate, through a fence, and through another fence, respectively. (Rest assured, no hare would be caught. And even if she catches up with one (or anything come to that) she doesn't know what to do next.)

I stood in awe watching both hare and dog at full stretch; both racing across the pasture using powerfully-muscled hind legs. I was so caught up in the sight that I didn't think to take a photo to share with you. 

After the third chase Beanio looked quite puffed, so I took her down to the closest creek where she had a long splash, drink and head-plough. Then she lay down for five minutes to recover her breath properly and we wandered home at a stroll. She has been sleeping well this afternoon.

I've been potting up native tree seedlings rescued from K's garden, clearing up yesterday's mess, weeding and sitting in the watery sunshine enjoying 15C. I mowed the main lawn, which had grown tufty, and I had a cabbage tree leaves bonfire.