Sunday 3rd Feb 2007
We are now in February and the brightening of the northern hemisphere continues the same as it has since the dawn of time. It’s been the most amazing few days here, with crystal clear blue sky and the brightest sunshine rising over the frosty mornings. I spent this beautiful morning visiting Clitheroe castle with Nick. (Well it’s more like a small square hilltop fort but they call it a castle, some great outbuildings though.) The castle has a great vantage built on the highest rocky outcrop and looking down 360 degrees over the whole of the Ribble Valley. You can see why they would want to put it there. This morning the long rolling vistas were swathed in a rising mist and the frost encrusted fields ran to the distant hills. Church bells were ringing and the whole scene was so quintessentially English. Wish I could afford to live in the Ribble valley. However I shan’t complain too much because having spent Friday and Saturday in the garden I realise I am so lucky too. Been hard work pruning the trees and carrying out general tidy-up work but in-between sat on the seat looking out across the valley and thinking life is not that unfair. I fed the birds and they all sat in the trees as contented as I. That’s not a bad feeling with all the bad news floating around at the minute. Hope you enjoy the photo of the hazel tree I took yesterday and the photo of the sky over the trees. Spring is coming!