Friday 9th Feb 2007
We were promised lots of snow in the north of England yesterday but apart from a few light flurries that hardly left a trace it was overall pretty disappointing. Probably good in the grand scheme of things but I really want to wake up at least one morning before the end of winter and be greeted by a white blanket of deep snow. At the moment it is not looking very promising. Somehow it won’t feel like we have been through a winter if we don’t. I have been a Good Samaritan this week looking after the birds. Every morning I have put out food and its amazing how fast they learn where it is and when it arrives. Some of the food froze overnight and regular as clockwork as I make my sandwiches for work Mr Blackbird arrives and sits on the wall looking at me through the kitchen window. Shortly after comes the Mistle thrush and remonstrates that the food is late. Must be tough for them when the ground is frozen and day temperatures hardly rise above freezing. I do wonder how many don’t make it so it is important that we feed them where we can during these hard months. It’s also important that you give them water to drink. Lecture over!

I’m trying to give up smoking at the minute (again!) as a ban in all public places comes into force across Britain from July the first. Finding it difficult but I have successfully stopped for nearly a year a while back so I’ll do it. Not sure I agree with this nannying legislative coercion though but don’t get me started on that. We are living through strange times and what I wonder will the world have become in a decade. Could go either way and if it goes in the wrong direction (and all the signs seem to be pointing that way) all this politically correct nonsense will seem like the halcyon days....see I’m off now!

Something positive it’s Friday and the weekend is here (well at 5pm). I want a nice relaxing weekend but don’t think I shall be spending much time in the garden this weekend. Unless the heavens deliver a promise and the world turns to a snowy adventure.