The developers moved in at home during the week and I was delighted to see them. I’m talking about the swallows and the swifts – no sooner had they landed than they began repairing damaged nests and building more.

We have three nests right outside our bedroom window and the activity the birds generate is one of the most welcome signs of summer approaching. I don’t mind a bit that they will destroy the newly painted wall – a good blast of the power hose in September will fix that.

Then, to top it all, the cuckoo turned up about two days ahead of schedule. I was making poor headway against the weeds in the flowerbeds when, clear as crystal, I heard the cuckoo call. It reinvigorated me and the constant call kept me in the garden until nearly dark.

Talking about nests, unlike the swifts and swallows, Sean and I are having to get used to an empty nest and it’s not easy. A big kitchen table with only the two of us around it means that we often have our dinner on two trays in the living room these days. Sean bought these handy trays with legs that can be balanced very easily on your lap.

Vacant bedrooms are another reminder that Ian is working abroad, Hazel is married and Richard is at college. But it’s the hot press where the empty nest syndrome really hits home. We’ve a great hot press. It’s long and narrow, with shelves on three sides and a hanging rail, and it stores absolutely everything.

Each of us has our designated shelf and, of course, those belonging to our three young adults are still stuffed full. Stuffed full of clothes and sports gear that they haven’t worn for years and probably never will again.

Old T-shirts, worn-out jeans and tracksuit bottoms that I convince myself will come in handy if they are home and want to help out down the yard. School jumpers that I end up wearing when I’m gardening.

I know I should clear it all out, keep the few bits they might wear again and recycle the rest, but then I’d have to look at empty shelves and I’m just not ready to do that yet. Nor am I ready to dump birthday and mother’s day cards or all the little handmade pictures and paintings they brought home from school. I did an edit on school books a while back but held on to a lot of them as I convinced myself that at some stage their children would love to see what dad or mam were like in school. I did the same with baby clothes and their first shoes.

When your children are little, people keep telling you to enjoy the time because it disappears so fast. You don’t believe them because you are sleep-deprived and never have a minute to call your own. But it is absolutely true. Children grow up amazingly fast and, before you know it, you’re looking at bedrooms that never need to be tidied, fridges that are never emptied and a car with a back seat that never gets used.

So, love every minute of the time when your children really are children – it’s precious and you can never get it back.

Finally, if you are near the midlands, consider joining in the Bealtaine celebration on the Hill of Uisneach this Saturday from 2pm. There’s lots going on and a limited number of tickets are available through www.uisneach.ie. Check it out.