Monday 30th December 2019

The next to last day of Twixmas.

The period between Christmas and New Year.

Shall we go back to normal or carry on festive eating, Ian asked as he spread Nutella on his Kit Kat at breakfast?

Not quite that bad, but with the house still full of cold cuts, sausage meat, Christmas Cake, cheese and crackers, normal is some time away. And yet it comes soon.

But before then we carry on.

There is football to watch as I only saw half an hour of the three games on Sunday when live. So, after first coffee and putting out the bird seed I watch that.

Outside it was a glorious day, and even with my bad back grumbling before we went out, it only seemed right to have a walk. We were going to go to London to see the lights on Oxford and Regent Streets, but the thought of the crowds put me off. Like many things, the thought of it would always be better than the actual experience.

So we will go for a walk, and a New Year plant hunt for @BSBI, and for me.

On with the boots, and a thin coat, as it really was that warm, at least until we left the shelter of the back garden and the keen westerly bit. But that was at our backs on the way out, and so we were warm.

Not much to report really, mud everywhere, so we did not go across the fields or down to look at The Dip, instead we followed the cinder track up to Collingwood and along to Fleet House so I could check on the local patch of Winter Heliotrope, which was just starting to flower.

I also saw Red Dead Nettle, Annual Mercury and Ivy all in flower, not bad for the end of December.

Along the road to the Pig's Copse, no piglets there for now, and then down the hill past the farm, through the mud bath at the bottom, and I then take the next left for a short cut to home, Jools carries on the Windy Ridge.

My back grumbles all the way up the long lane, which is gradually climbing. I walk along with head down, miserable, as my back had stopped me from doing what I wanted. Again. But I press on, finally getting back to Collingwood and from there its pretty much downhill all the way.

My back is happier at that.

B the time I got home, the mail had arrived, and a redirected card from Mum's place from distant relations meant that I had a letter to write to them, as they had put in their address into the card; always helps.

For lunch we have bread, cold salt beef, pickles and beer. That's pretty normal Christmas food.

And mid-afternoon we have coffee and yet more Christmas cake, though there isn't much left of this, the second cake we have munched our way through this month.

We have more warmed up cold cuts for dinner, making another roast dinner, the third in 5 days, because, you know, Christmas.

Meaning that is was then dark, music on the radio and more writing to be done as the year gets ever older.

And there was just time for an episode of The Expanse before bedtime.