green man

If I ever buy another house, I will make sure that it isn't covered in creeper. Our Virginia Creeper looks lovely for a few weeks in autumn, but for most of Spring and Summer, it creeps. Growing amazingly quickly, like the forest around Sleeping Beauty's castle, it covers windows and invades guttering. The birds love it and there are at least two pairs of goldfinches sitting on eggs outside our bedroom window.

The creeper has to be trimmed twice a year and today it was time for its first post lockdown cut. No masks required, but the person holding the ladder (me) has to wear a hat to protect against the big globs of muddy leaf matter and moss thrown down from above. D has the really stressful job of perching up high and resisting the temptation to lean too far on either side.

I did see something really interesting at one point, though (see extra). A halo, not above D's head, but around the sun. This is usually a clue that rain will arrive within the next 24 hours, but for some Native Americans, who call the halo a Whirling Rainbow, it is a sign from God, marking a time of great change. We shall see.