Tuesday 28th February 2023

January lasted like three months, but February seemed it only began last week, and yet here we are on the last day of the month.Pay day has come and gone, tomorrow is a new month, and propbably the orchid season will begin sometime in either the 3rd or 4th week.

For the last day of meteorological winter, the wind brought north-easterlies once again, and dark clouds, would I be going out for a walk in the afternoon. Well, I intended to.

Sadly, Jools has caught a cold, so is coughing a bit again, so no swimming for her, and she is back on her inhaler, hopefully that will stop it going onto her chest. As my Grandmother would say.

So, Jools left at ten to seven, I set up the office and so began another day in quality.

Not a quality day.

As a treat there was a 90 minute Global Q meeting to sit through, and as usual we were told everything is just peachy.

Must be a mouldy peach.

Anyway, that means I can multi-task as the presentations are shown, and meaningless words spoken over them. Enought to make me laugh.

Big news was that we have spawn in our wildlife pond. I checked before starting work, and there was a large clump breaking the surface. 90 minutes later I go out and a second, small clump had appeared. I guess the two frogs are now sleeping it off.

But it did make it feel like spring. I come back inside and add the data to the national spawnmap, and seeing their data as a time lapse map, you can see the spawn starting in cornwall, then spreading west, day by day. Amazing what citizen science can achieve.

I have oatcakes and marmalade for lunch, listen to the radio as I munch. I am currently watching a guy who travels to least used stations around the country. He has also visited every station on the mainland. A bit geeky, but appeals to me. I no longer watch videos from the train guy in the US. Still trains though.

I was stirred by the sound of a helicopter, we hear them from time to time, they usually fade away pretty quick. But this one got louder and louder, so loud is scared the cats. I dash outside as a Chinook passed over, banking hard at less than 200 feet. Too quick to get a shot. I get my camera ready, just in case, and five minutes later it flew past the back of the house, down the valley towards Kingsdown.

I get a shot in the mist.

I don't go out for a walk after all. Just too cold. So I sit with Scully on the sofa and ready WSC as the light fades outside. She is happy with that, purrs and snores at the same time, as she can multi-task.

Dinner is easy, defrosted and reheated jamalaya with the last of the tear and share bread. A fine meal, washed down with the last of the wine from the latest box.

And that was that.

I watch cup football on the BBC until half nine, then go to bed. Cleo was waiting.