Crouching heron

I good head start to the day which looked beautiful, sunny, blue skies and a light frost. For once I was in Pollok Park just after 8, it was already busy with the usual dog walkers. Usefully I discovered the pedestrian short cut to the station is still available despite the temporary closure to the park entrance on Pollokshaws Road. The heron was secreted away underneath the bridge beside Pollok House, looking rather plump I thought. 
I cancelled Pilates, not feeling up to side planks with sore arms, and generally achy, post vaccinations yesterday. I took a couple of paracetamol just after lunch which made me fall deeply asleep for almost an hour and I awoke feeling completely normal. Quite miraculous.
I spent the afternoon reading Quartet in Autumn. I get why I didn’t connect with this when it was published in the late 70s. I was too young. Its ‘decapitalised whiteness’, as some critics have described it has parallels with the whole Brexit thing. Anyway despite all that it made me chuckle out loud, and I recognise some of the idiosyncrasies of getting older, like the collecting (but not the sorting) of plastic bags, very useful for winter picnics.
But the best thing that happened today was the return of the Great Spotted Woodpecker, on the clandestine bird feeder no less. I just managed to get a shot as it flew away into the branches of the beech tree. It’s not a great photo but since I was so thrilled about seeing it I’m going to have it as an extra.