Saturday 21st January 2023

One month since the winter equinox, and five months until the summer one.

In truth, it is barely noticeable that it is getting lighter, though Jools says there is still light in the sky when she leaves work at five now. In the next month there will be ever more light per day, two or three more in both the morning and evening. Hopefully it won't be such a rush to go out after work to get steps in, and if the rain stays off, walking the lanes and tracks around here will be possible once again.

In fact, Saturday was to be a fine and sunny day, with light winds too, which meant I cancelled the churchcrawling for some walking in Stodmarsh nature reserve.

We were up fairly early, at six. So had coffee and woke up before going to Tesco.

Somehow, a weekly shop with no wine, cider, beer, washing tabs, or anything for the foodbank came to £140. We are struggling to see where it all went, though we can afford it, there are many who cannot.

We pay and head home for double breakfast of fruit, coffee followed by bacon butties and tea.

Variety is the spice of life, apparently.

Outside the clouds of earlier had cleared, there was clear blue skies. Best get out.

We drove to Sandwich then back inland along the Canterbury road before turning off for Preston, past the butchers and out on the marshes to Grove. There were a few cars, and for most of the two hours we were there, we met no other snappers, just on the way back four dogwalkers, the first two had their dogs off leads. I mean, what kind of moron takes dogs off the lead in a fucking nature reserve?

Early on the walk, I saw a marsh harrier circling, then land in the reeds a couple of hundred yards away. A buzzard flew across the marsh and performed a turn in the air to chase a smaller bird. I did snap the buzzard, but it was small in the viewfinder even at 400mm.

Not much else seen, four Mute Swans, two swimming in a ditch beside the path, and two more the other side of a five bar gate, eating grass.

We turned for home, again no Bearded Reedlings seen, and just Great Tits seen chirping happily in an old tree at the edge of the reserve.

Back at the car, we change out of our muddy boots and head for home. We call in at the butchers for some steak, it was then that we remembered that Norwich had kicked off at half twelve, so Jools checked the score: 2-3 to Norwich, but Norwich had been 3 up after just 18 minutes!

I raced home so I could watch the second half, City score one more to win 4-2, but give the ball away so much in midfield, that's going to have to be cut out.

Which meant I could relax and chuckle at the main batch of games at three with our "local" rivals losing, as did Everton.

I made chilli through the afternoon. A huge pan of it, which we had for dinner, with loads in containers to be frozen for meals in the next few weeks.

More football in the evening, but no goals as Palace at The Toon fought out a frantic 0-0 draw.

Phew.