Tuesday 7th March 2017

I have been online now for some 16 years, and I have been lucky enough to meet some of my online friends in real life, or person if you will, or at least on the phone. It make you realise that there are really people behind the screen names and avatars.

So, what with the fact we have been planning a holiday with a friend from the other side of the world, who much against all reason is going to fly to Europe, stay with us for a few days, then travel on a sleeper train to Scotland where we are all going to share a cottage on the Isle of Skye for a week. There were a few details sort out, so I suggested that we have a phone call to discuss things.

I said this on Friday, and thought little of it, but after coming down stairs for coffee, and after switching on the computer I see there is a message from my friend in New Zealand that he would be home in 10 minutes. We discussed how best to speak, and in the end it was me calling via Skype. I programmed his number into the interface, pressed call. There's the ringing tone, and then on the line comes Tony.

Tony, the person I know from his Flickr stream, his Facebook stream and so on. But here we were, talking over the interwebs, discussing details of the holiday like old friends. Which in a way, we were. The news is full of how dreadful the internet is in so many ways, but isn't this wonderful, people on the other sides of the world, one at the end of the working day, and me in my dressing gown over first coffee of the day, discussing details of a shared holiday in a few weeks?

We talk like old friends, or it seems to me, making jokes and making plans. But Jools has to go to work, and I have to get ready for my working day, and Tony has to make his dinner. Such is the modern world.

Outside it is a fine and bright morning, the sun rises in the south east, and nature is wide awake well before I am awake enough to put the bird seed out. I have breakfast and another coffee, and so the day really begins. And all the while I am thinking about a holiday in Scotland with Jools and our longtime online friend.

The badgers and foxes had ate all the lamb and potatoes during the night, so I collect the empty bowl, put out the bird food and get down to work.

The morning passes, I have lunch before eleven, and after more meetings and mails, I find I have an hour to spare. Outside the light is still good, so I decide to stretch my legs and go for a walk.

It is the 7th March, the light of the rising sun gets more easterly every day, and soon we will reach the equinox when night and day will be equal, from then on, light wins.

It seems spring has come early, there is much growing in our garden, we have daffodils, dwarf iris and crocuses in flower, with many other close behind.

I went out to see what was growing out in the hedgerows, taking the route you all know by now.

A warm afternoon, with the sun casting ever-shortening shadows as the days pass. Not much growing on the path across the fields, the three remains of the hedge have been trimmed and show no new growth yet.

As I neared Collingwood, there was new leaves on the saplings beside the path.

It is coming.

No pigs in the copse yet, but it won't be long for sure. I stop at Fleet House to take in the scen and whether to walk down the dip, as I now on Otty Bottom Road there are wild primroses, which I should really look at.

I do walk down the dip, slipping on the chalk/mud mix that had dried out and become slippery. At the bottom there is the usual mud bath, but I am able to get round it on the narrow path.

I huff and puff up the other side, and I am rewarded with view back to Chez Jelltex and the cloudscape above. I don't walk to the top of Otty Bottom road, instead walk back towards the village to check on the wild Primroses growing on the banks. SOme our now flowering, doing well despite being in deep shade.

I take the path from the village instead of going to Station Road, it should have been dry enough to manage, but crossing the road to the farm, I saw that the bottom of the field was very muddy, but I was able to pick a fairly dry path through the tractor ruts and begin the climb back to home.

It is good to be home, Although not a long walk, I am out of practice, so boil the kettle for a brew and sit down to watch some Wheeler Dealers whilst checking work mails on my mobile.

I feel like cooking something simple for dinner, so we are to have fishcakes in rolls, coated with lashings of sweet chili sauce. It is good, or course.

I know I said during the summer I would not mention football so much, but that was easier said than done, and when it comes down to it, I write a few lines about how City are doing. Tuesday saw us play in Bristol against City who had won once since December 4th, a final, final chance to relight our charge. Despite playing well in the 1st, but only 1-0 up, in the second, confidence was sapped and the inevitable leveller came, and City only just held on for the point. Another poor result away from home in a season full of similar nights.

Sigh.

On the radio, we followed Arse against Bayern, and wondering if the Gooners could salvage something form the debris of the first leg 5-1 defeat. Arsenal 1-0 up at half time, but in 2nd, their captain was sent off, and they shipped four goals in 6 minutes and ended up losing 5-1 again, 10-2 on aggregate.

Ow indeed.