Winterwood

Thanks so much for all the stars and hearts for my last two blips. I've been absent for a couple of days as time just ran away with me. Friday was Chris's birthday and seemed to be occupied largely with shopping and preparing a celebration meal, interspersed with a visit to the nurse for my blood tests. I explained the problems that I'd experienced in the past, so she spent a lot of time feeling my arms, and eventually found just one suitable vein. By using a very fine needle she managed to fill all five phials without it collapsing. I also had my blood pressure taken - and was very relieved to find out that it's absolutely normal and hasn't changed since it was last done fourteen years ago. :)

Yesterday was dull and grey and I spent the day at the computer preparing the slide show, that Pete and I are giving to our local Wildlife Group next week. Chris and Lizzy borrowed the car to go to Leeds for a Christmas meal with her university friends. They arrived safely but unfortunately the car had started playing up again towards the end of the journey - the same problem that was supposedly fixed in September. So it's off to the garage next week. I'm just hoping that Chris manages to get it home OK this evening.

Pete and I took the old car out today, to check that it was still in running order, as I'll clearly need to use it next week. It started first time and seems fine. We drove out to Collyweston Great Wood and had a good walk round in the sunshine. It's a site that we don't often go to, but it's one of the larger ancient woodlands in the area and is generally very quiet as there's hardly any parking and you need a permit to enter. It definitely felt like a winter wood today - the last of the oak leaves were falling rapidly, and the bracken was almost the only splash of autumn colour.