Spring, ctd

Plenty of signs of spring in the garden: daffodils great and small blooming fit to bust, purple crocuses coming into flower and plenty of snowdrops dancing in the breeze.  The magnolia stellata is coming into flower, and the hitherto sulky red camellia is showing colour for the first time in years.  Our neighbour’s pink camellia is in fine flower, and is now a fair bit taller than the fence, so we get to enjoy it as well.  

As I mentioned last time Sheila, who came for a sandwich before Iain’s funeral, brought the beautiful pot of fritillaries in the picture.  We shall plant them out when they go over and, inshallah, continue to enjoy for years to come.  And Sandra brought the daffodils when she came to lunch last Sunday.  (Together with a rather good Côtes du Rhône Villages!)

Interesting afternoon yesterday: the local British Legion branch had organised a talk by one Mike Martin on the Russia-Ukraine war.  A former army officer, now an academic, he spoke very well and convincingly without notes.  He is also the Lib Dem candidate for our constituency, and would have got our (tactical) votes anyway, but it was good to see him in action.  

This past week we bit the bullet and ordered a new car, and it was reported to be on a ship last Monday.  We shall trade in Egg2, with some sadness, because it has served us well for almost sixteen years, and never let us down.  It has developed one or two little faults of late, and the roadside recovery people tend to decline support to cars over sixteen years old, so the time has come, (the walrus said).