The weather was unseasonably warm last week but has now grown a little cooler although remaining dry. All that changes today but rain is welcome now that things are moving, growing and greening. Yesterday evening I heard my first bumblebee and there is a small patch of spawn in the pond although no sign of the frogs that made it. The frogs are late this year and do not seem particularly abundant. I wonder if the hard winter has played a part or whether they are wiser than we and know that winter still has some cold weather to delay our move to spring.

It was nice to enjoy the remains of the day and to think of being 50 soon. Seems a long time but marked in the life of so many other things a mere trifle of existence. Still the potatoes and onions are in, the herbs are coming through and the hillside is alive with yellow daffodils. It must be spring...my 50th spring. Maybe my last as the US pastor (Harold Camping) has forecast the world will end this year and only 2% of the world’s population will be raptured (taken to heaven). The rest of us...well we are going on a long, hot trip. But you know that seems like an awful waste of people. But just in case, I shall have to enjoy this spring all the more.