Life with cats, and other things…
24th February 2026 Returning from our short shopping trip, I installed myself before my PC only for the phone to ring and I knew instantly that we'd messed up. What we'd been supposed to do on Tuesday morning was take Lily to the vet for a blood draw. I'd remembered on Monday night, checked the … Continue reading Mindset
1737/23rd February 2026 Just before dark on Monday, a row of bright pink clouds appeared behind the hill across the valley, the only colour in an otherwise totally grey day that left places south and east of us under many inches of snow. As much as 37 in some areas. . 0616/24th February 2026 By … Continue reading The tide
21st February 2026 Climate deniers point to this very cold winter we are having as proof that there is no such thing as global warming. All it proves is that scientists should choose their words more carefully. And that you cannot force people to confront inconvenient facts they refuse to acknowledge. Future generations will curse … Continue reading Target
0736/22nd February 2026. Snow sky. To the south - a blizzard. Here, snow flurries. While I personally feel short-changed to miss a good storm, the aftermath is a lot for Grant to cope with. No sooner had our walkways cleared from the last lot of ice than they got buried again on Friday night, so … Continue reading Snowy Saturday
19th February 2026 Taking the scenic route to Greenwich sometimes causes us to disturb a group of pigeons. They huddle atop a telephone pole beside the road. . We often slow down there to say hello to a trio of horses, but that day we saw that they were in another pasture. It is the … Continue reading Attention
0640/19th February 2026 Looking up from my morning geography puzzle on Thursday, I gasped at the sight of a sky suddenly transformed as the Sun crept toward the horizon. . It's been a while since we had one this lurid. It was not the "shepherd's warning" of the old saying, at least not until next … Continue reading Start of day
1705/12th February 2026 How wonderful is the gift of eyesight and how we take it for granted. As a child I was given a book of general knowledge that I poured over for hours. I also spent a lot of time looking at pictures in my mother's discarded magazines and sometimes cut things out. This, … Continue reading Contemplation
17th February 2026 Tuesday's sombre sky provided a surprisingly fine backdrop to a still snowy landscape. It helps if you like that sort of thing which I did even before becoming enamored of Winter. . One of my favourite paintings: Rue Jeanne d'Arc by Maurice Utrillo 1934 The contrast of colours is what does it … Continue reading Nowhere to go
15th February 2026 Winter is not yet done with us. Temperatures are daily climbing drastically, only to plunge again at night. Precipitation is expected in the form of snow/rain which on top of several inches of remaining snow promises - a mess. And in the 10-day forecast, a return to the deep freeze. If you've … Continue reading Signs of Spring
0732/ 20th January 2026 Although I have now escaped the madness of suburbia, I was born and spent my early years in a big city, my parents living as they did in London. My mother, however, came from a tiny village in Wiltshire which we used to visit on holiday. I had mixed feelings about … Continue reading Early choices