An early rose

I have been testing the zoom again, both inside and outside the house. The weather seemed milder, but it is a dank grey old day again. From a lunchtime egg boiling in a stainless steel pan, close-ups of scale insects multiplying fast on my Australian Bluebell Creeper plant, which seems particularly blighted, or even yawning cats waking to start their day at teatime.

Outside I tried stones, mosses and lichens, the dogwood plant, forsythia, real bluebell shoots and cats spraying their territorial messages to each other. Finally I chose this rather rugged and rambling rose-like plant, whose name I have forgotten. I liked the vibrant green leaf just beginning to unfurl, close to the protective thorns on the stems, which have enabled last year's fruits to survive, despite being virtually adjacent to the bird feeding station. Good design for survival.

As I write this, the sun has come out to shine on all of these earlier dismal views, but far too late for me, as I am blipping now.