Green and white ivy

Will the skies ever lighten up again - they seem to be getting darker and darker every morning. This little sprig of white ivy has been winking at me for days growing in the hedgerow on the lane. It is obviously short of some nutrient but it looks pretty enough.

Ivy (Hedera helix) was said to have magical powers and it was brought into the house at Christmas to keep the bad spirits away. The wood from the thicker stems used to be made into cups from which children drank their milk to prevent them from being infected with whooping cough. Ivy was also regarded as the emblem of fidelity.

Tim had a wet but good day yesterday on a friends rough shoot and N got his infected tooth sorted!

All calm on the farm today - famous last words! The sun did come out later and I actually did some gardening!