Category Archives: Lockdown Diary

Looking at the last corner of the garden I’m still surprised by its lushness… in December? Really? Individual plants showing growth seem just plain wrong like this mahonia… …and this plant… which flowers but otherwise looks like a tiny conifer… … Continue reading →

I love this hardy plumbago Ceratostigma plumbaginoides… in high summer its green leaves are offset by the most stunning sky-blue flowers… now, before the leaves drop they turn this delicious deep red. Nearby my tiny beech tree has turned to … Continue reading →

I know our maritime corner of the UK has a unique and mild climate but this year the relatively warm Autumn, combined with plenty of life-giving rain has led to more than usual growth. Its well into December but the … Continue reading →

I find it quite astonishing that, after two decades in one locality, one can still find yourself just a couple of miles or so from home, in an area you have never been before. Since satnavs were fitted one has … Continue reading →

This time of year, as it gets colder and darker, we all spend more time indoors than out. It is about now when I usually indulge an old pastime for a week or two. This is often indulged further by … Continue reading →

Yesterday was the first day I’ve missed blogging in many months… I was, shall we say, ‘indisposed’ (I will spare you the lavatorial detail). So this post is about an outing several days ago. I joined a local angling club, … Continue reading →

The UK was, formerly, the world stronghold of the Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus; more here than the whole of the former USSR. The c.100,000 pairs became very familiar to us all with the expansion of the motorway network where the … Continue reading →

Maggie loves everything about Christmas, although, of late, she has been frequently disappointed as Christmas fayre doesn’t live up to the advertised deliciousness and TV offerings are formulaic and flat. Nevertheless, December becomes a fest of Christmas Movies, tinsel and … Continue reading →

They used to say, ‘those who can, do, and those who can’t, teach’. These days I think things have changed, those who can, still do, those who can’t take great pleasure in knocking the doers… usually via Twitter, Facebook or … Continue reading →

Dawn was nowhere near ready to crack, sparrows held back their farts. In the pre-dawn gloom rain lashed against the windows. Half an eye looked at the clock; it was five minutes to alarm. I’d been lying awake since five, … Continue reading →