Colliers Wood - 17C - Grey Sky

Blood test this morning. And the nursing assistant called me Mr. Marsden which I consider a great step forward from 'darlin' or 'my sweetheart' both of which are so patronising and make one feel that senility and the old-folks home are due.

Lets just hope thaqt te result is OK. After that Y went to The Library and then we did a few other Eastwood jobs and Lidl and Morrisons for bread.

Then I cooked griddled chicken and courgettes, with steamed carrots, green beans, potatoes and cauliflower. Y had made a jelly, so we had it for pudding with Greek Yoghourt. Lovely.

Afternoon walkies then beckoned and as the weather looked so threatening we only went as far as Colliers Wood. The light was so poor and these pictures are just 'blog-shots'. I like that and think I might have invented a new photographic genre. Picture 1 is of a very assertive swan; presumably a male. He wasn't aggressive - more curious as to our reason for being in his territory. Isn't it strange that swans have such bright white plumage and apparently dirty necks? Colliers Wood was opened in 1999 and is built on the site of the old Moorgreen Colliery and the former miners did all the hard work of planting and laying things out. It is attractive now and will continue to become more so for many years into the future. Sadly there's been some vandalism. What can I say.

18,000 trees were planted, there are 2 lakes and large areas of wild-flower meadow which is only mown annually, as meadows traditionally were.

I thought I would share these cowslips with you. There are things like little red dead-nettles and even some primroses. In my opinion the primroses would thrive more on one of the banked areas rather than on the flat. But maybe they took professional advice.

With frequent sits-down I must have managed at least half a mile. And it was nice to sit anyway.

Damn me if now that I am at home 'blogging' and don't need it, the sun has broken through. Lets hope it is a little earlier tomorrow because with the Wednesday walkers I am going back to Clumber. I told Reg that on Monday the bluebells has been gorgeous so we might be lucky. Must remember my tripod because to get a large expanse all sharp, will need a tiny aperture and a long exposure. There isn't much light under the tree canopy.

No links to bright knitting yarns, or hotspring geysers today. But I have made an important discovery. If you store a few potatoes in a paper-bag in the 'fridge they wont sprout! Even at this time of year when they are at their worst. I bought a bag of King Edwards a fortnight ago and put them in the usual dark cupboard. I had however selected 4 large ones intending to 'jacket' them and I put them in a paper bag in the 'fridge. Result this morning - those in the cuboard had all sprouted and gone spongy - those in the 'fridge had not a single tiny sprut and were hard as when they arrived. Idea 6,324 I think.

Y is doing tea. So, I'm off and will catch the News at 6pm.