patrolling the garden, checking up on the flowers

a butter-yellow butterfly flickers past

the washed-up mug on the washing up rack holds heat from the February sun

enjoy them while you can

so far the deer haven't found the (tasty) bright spring flowers

dull morning

snowdrops nestle in fallen leaves, lift the shabby corners of the lawn

leek tart from a packet

someone (or something) somewhere has made me delicious cheddar pastry

The Florence Arms

pub dog expects strokes, and usually gets them

driving late, skinny black cat

she darts across four lanes of motorway traffic, leaving behind a clutching fear that next time she'll be all out of luck

twice today other people cry her tears for her

men come to fix the boiler

all day I try not to look at the crack of his bum

"Boy's body found in crocodile stomach"

the summer-sky hyacinths bow under the weight of their sweet perfume

the trunk of the tree that was spindly two years ago is taking on bulk

finding small good things in difficult times

the gift of Hazel's leeks in cheesy sauce

Not a river walk

The water laps around the feet of the bench. Pairs and groups of people emerge from the long dark hedge corridor to be greeted by the burst river. I sit as if on a chaise longue and read about silence.

fatty vs. viao

blue laptop nicely warms my lap but isn't half as good to stroke and doesn't even purr

the same view from the window is never the same

the grass half-sugar frosted, half lush green
the sky behind the tree all watery

All around the cottage, bulbs are starting to push their thick green arms towards the winter light.

Today I am too thick with myself to notice anything.

Driving home

A snow hill looms from the mist, the horizon missing. Someone's scissors have cut out cattle shapes.

Walking home from Sunday lunch

Dad raps the snowy hedges with a stick

the man at the bar says 'women will shorten your life'

crumbs in bed from home-baked shortbread hearts

water chords

snow-melt drips from the eaves of the thatch, conjuring fingertips on ivory keys

Snowy birdfeeder

Pilfering squirrel hangs down from the beam and eats the food he doesn't know isn't his.

The lawn is covered in a soft white quilt - dark stray blades of grass poke out like quills. In the hedge behind, a redwing shows off her marvellous speckled chest. The sun comes out.

deersteps

in

the

snow

Driving home

The air thickens, coagulates into snow. Flakes appear from the dark and rush the window-screen, or maybe we are rushing towards them.