11th January 2012

A Happy New Year to you all.

And I start the year with my usual resolution to blog for you more frequently – even to tweet, God help me, if I can get someone to show me how. Realistically, it’s the technology that holds me back rather than the desire to hold back information.

Bright sunshine, and I’m searching for signs of life in my rhubarb plot, not the triffid jungle of times gone by, but a few plants to see if the warm weather has tricked them into growth, and perhaps we’re all producing forced rhubarb. But we need a frost apparently for that to happen, before we stick an upturned bucket or terracotta forcer over the plants – and we’re bound to get one soon.

Just back from a brief visit to Suffolk – my first since I moved almost exactly a year ago. I hadn’t trusted myself to visit before. I stayed at Wyken Hall, which is out of this world anyway, so beautiful at this time of the year. A quick trip to Bryant’s Mill for cheaper, better hen food, reminded of what I’ve been missing – the feeling of knowing every inch of the road, and the occupiers of almost every house – the feeling of being at home. It will still take a while before that happens here in Whitstable.

I had a wonderful time, thanks to Carla & Kenneth Carlisle’s generosity, and met several friends I was missing. A nice break, but I am glad to be back. It’s farewell to the Brahma foster mum who is going home, taking with her one ‘chick’ who is turning out to be a fine cockerel. Narrow escape for him – one neighbour threatened to get his gun out…….