Botanics

A morning walk with the hound.  Returned feeling quite warm.  

Met Anna at the University Botanical Gardens today.  We had a delightful walk round and sat with coffee outdoors.  The weather was very mild for February with a smattering of sunshine.  The gardens had a fabulous display of snowdrops and late winter flowering, scented shrubs.  There's always something of interest there.

We had a terrific catch up.  

Back home, fed the hound and after after an interval took him for a walk.  The need to be away from home was great.  Construction and the whining of tree/shrub cutting and shredding was intolerable.   

A friend who has had chemotherapy and now reaching the end of a course of radiotherapy had sent me Wintering by Katherine May.  While she was having chemo I'd sent her Emma Mitchell's The Wild Remedy and Dara McAnulty's Diary of a Young Naturalist.  I'm aware that chemotherapy can result in chemo brain where concentration is difficult to sustain for long periods.  Both these books can easily be dipped into for brief intervals.  The Wild  Remedy has fabulous photographs and drawings and both are beautifully written.  If nature is your thing I do recommend them.

The gifted Wintering is on the same lines.  Looking forward to reading it.  Anna also loaned me Maggie O' Farrell's The Marriage Portrait.  Need to find me some reading time.

Pleasant evening everyone.