THE YEAR OF THE RAT

Sunday - there is a new feeling in the air - the birds are beginning to sing - Robin, blackbird and our first song thrush of the year. Oh, and the collared doves drone and on and on ....

It is the year of the rat, (Donald Rat, Vladimir Rat, Li Rat, Boris Rat), coronavirus is about to wipe us all out and the little ones will take over.

Here is our  resident ratty by the pond just hanging around, waiting.

It is also the time of the Great British Birdwatch, done, small birds winning until a load of rooks arrived.

When it is not foggy or wet and raining it is (a bit) sunny in the garden. There are snowdrops everywhere and the pink viburnum and the winter flowering honeysuckle are pouring out scent.

The veg beds are almost done - I know the raspberries in the foreground are a bit feeble but I have given them one more year.

Monday and out again putting extra composting manure on the roses. They need a bit of help after being moved before the new extension was built.
The grass is sodden, really sodden and turns to liquid mud if walked upon - so better stay off it. And to help that I need to redo many of the chipping paths - again!

All in all the weather is mild but we have had the odd frost.

I thought we might have lost our crambe but on closer inspection it is still there next to the cardoon.

So it is Friday 31st January 2020, the end of dry January, veganuary, the sky is weeping (it is raining ++), my back hurts, I have had two Weetabix for breakfast, my gardener is not coming after all and, incidentally, the UK is carefully shooting itself in the foot.

We will be out of the EU tonight, but not out of the EU rules for at least the rest of the year. 

The world shambles that is politics goes on, the lawns are waterlogged and the long grass still needs strimming. 

I will have a nice cup of tea, coffee with friends this morning and publish this blog.

R has still not decided on whether to get an Irish passport.

Dark days yet to come - South towards us from Gummers How on a dismal morning. Cheer up lad, it could be worse, couldn't it? 😕