After the blog odyssey that was the run up to Christmas, I decided to give myself (and all the dear readers out there) a few weeks off from my wittering. However, with January (which always seems to last forever…) finally put to bed, I thought I might post a quick catch up (if only to justify a few hellebore and snowdrop shots).
Lyra and I have rambled hither and thither most days, enjoying crisp frost, a speck of snow, ghostly looming mist and even a few glimmers of sun. In the main we have stuck to the more sedate, shorter, routes as my hip is still very temperamental, but a few days ago just as we were on the home straight of a circular walk through the woods we found our route barred by three trees brought down in the storm. Rather than retrace our steps I thought we might fairly easily just skirt the trees and get back to the path. After swarming through a tangle of brambles and an area of swamp, slithering through several steep (and water filled) ditches and clambering over a pile of fallen branches Lyra and I stumbled back to the car like unfit extras in a Rambo film. Still – not a bad effort for an old bird and a blind dog. Keith has now issued a prohibition on challenging walks until my hip is better….
In the garden we have a lovely display of hellebores and early spring bulbs and the snowdrops in the shade beds under the plums are a joy. I’ve not been gardening too much, its still a bit cold and squelchy, but whenever its fine I have dashed out out with my secateurs to finish cutting back the borders to give the bulbs some light. I’ve just one final stretch still to go and with the sun shining and my friendly blackbird and robin keeping me company there’s seems a world of possibilities for the seasons to come. I bought a couple of rhododendrons in the sale a couple of weeks ago and so far I have notionally planted them in at least five different locations!
Most of the Christmas goodies have gone now – even the two whole sides of salmon I cured (the lads were having it in centimetre thick slices rather than slithers) – which is a godsend as were it not for the pre Christmas flu I would be Michelin Man shaped. Post Christmas knitting projects have been fuelled by endless boxes of Turkish delight and the leftover After Eights Mum has been foisting on me as part of her January diet. Thankfully the sewing project is a cocoon dress and so deliberately baggy…
Anyway, you are now all caught up.
Karen, Great to have you back! I wish I knew how to do blogs. Must go for another walk with Geoff Le P and he can teach me….but not all that sex that GLP majors on these days. Fantastic to see your photos – Spring is on its way. Love to Ruthven.
Nick
Crikey no I’m not likely to go all fruity on you. I have a half finished novel and tbh it’s completely sedate as I can’t face the embarrassment. It might end up the only celibate sci FI novel in history. Actually the blogging thing is quite easy if you want a run through. I’m definitely not one for tricky- life is too short.