One flower does not make the spring

 I could not believe it. But it was true, even in the frosty morning there they were – like little glowing lamps punching through the frozen soil and fallen brown leaves. My aconites are out.  Their bent flower stems pulling the glowing flower heads up into the air. There are no leaves yet only the green ruff collar surrounding the yellow petals.

But one flower does not make the spring. Winter is not over. Last week my sister contracted flu. She had to ring 999. My sister was ‘lucky’ when an ambulance came and then ‘lucky’ again when she was given a bed on a ward where she could be treated. Over the week the ward filled with people with flu and then another ward filled and then another. The nurses were rushed off their feet as we waited for the medicines to take effect. Eventually she began to feel better and was home by Saturday relived to be back in familiar surroundings.

And we had a familiar sense of Deja-vu when we decided that it was time to wear masks again. Even though we have had the three jabs against the winter illnesses we thought it would be better to take more care. After all, my sister had also been vaccinated. But it was not too easy to buy masks. My normal supermarket does not sell them, I used to order them online with my groceries. In the end we bought them from the local chemist. They were lurking about on the bottom shelf away from sight.

Off we went to the shops, not forgetting to wear our masks, but I had forgotten that our glasses mist up and then at the checkout my mobile, which uses face recognition, did not recognise me with a mask on.

We wore our masks again when we travelled to Lake Vyrnwy to a bird viewing hide. The snow was icing the hills here and the birds were very hungry which was lucky for us as we watched them through the glass. The nuthatches were particularly keen on the peanuts and I enjoyed watching them as they are the only bird which eats up-side-down on the feeder.

I was not so lucky when I ordered a new ironing board online. I have had the old one for about sixty years; it is big and heavy. We took it to the recycling centre. I booked a slot, but when we arrived there were no ‘customers’ there.

Sadly, my new board has not arrived. It was supposed to come by 9pm yesterday. I peered into the darkness, but it was not delivered. It is a good job I do not iron clothes very often.

(Taken from my column in the Shropshire Star)

The nuthatch the only bird which feeds facing downwards on the feeder.