Sunday 1st January 2023

New Year's Eve we did our usual.

We did not go out.

We listened to Craig on the wireless.

We had two games of uckers. JOols won both.

We had a drink. Or two.

We were going to sit up, but with Jools asleep on the sofa, I said to her at ten to eleven, shall we go to bed?

Yes, yes we shall.

So, for the first time since before I was a teen, I failed to see int he New Year.

It was pouring with rain, so any outdoor celebrations were probaly abandoned, but we heard no fireworks here.

And we slept through until ten to eight, getting and feeding the cats, making the first coffee in time to listen to Radcliffe and Maconie on the radio.

Happy New Year.

My resolution, as far as it goes, was to walk more. And it being New Year, there was the New Year's Plant Hunt to do and take shots off.

Unless its the regular walks round the neighbourhood, in which case this view is very familiar.

The plan was to do 10,000 steps, and I judged this route to be the least muddy. However, where the track narrowed beyond the tree in the centre, it became so muddy I nipped over the fence into the field, where it was much less messy.

How clever I felt.

And all was good until I reached the track that crosses down from Windy Ridge to Collingwood, where there was a slight slope, and no grass.

One foot slipped.

So did the second, and down I went. Not hurt, but no obvious way to get up as each time I tried, my feet slipped and back down I went.

But I did get up, I was covered in mud, but I thought as I couldn't get any muddier, I was as well carry on.

So I did, walk on to the bench to sit and check social medias.

It was still there.

From there, back down the hill, past the farm and over the fields to home. By which time the sun was hidden behind clouds, and it had turned chilly.

Time for a brew.

I made jambalaya for lunch. Using some old spices, so put extra in just in case it had lost some of its fire. I needn't have worried, but it did make the finished pot spicy. Once cooked, I poured in two packets of prawns and dished up.

Yummy.

For the afternoon there was football. Always football.

Of course, it's Sunday, so according to Sky it's Super Sunday. Two games, including Forest v Chelsea which ends 1-1 and was a cracking game.

So, the first afternoon of the New Year is spent in front of the computer, watching footy.

In the evening, #wildflowerhour, with more than ten flowers in bloom seen over the weekend. And finally, some Archaeology on the tellybox and then to bed.

Phew.