Green shoots

Now all the snow has gone, hopefully, I'm starting to think about Spring and change and new life and growth and all that.  The garden is starting to think about it too, and stuff is pushing its way up out of the ground and making its presence felt.

A rather poor quality photograph of the snowdrops that are under the Magnolia, where the buds are getting ready to burst into flower and leaf.  When we first moved here, there was a Labernum and Ceanothus with the poor Magnolia in the middle; we took them both out and the Magnolia has gone mad, tripling in size and flowering away like anything.

The mint is starting to think about growing again, after a lot of time dormant.  As you can see, I didn't cut it back at all, or clear leaves or anything and I think my laziness good practice meant that it's another one that is growing away happily.

I bought some daffs the other day;  just from Sainsbury's but they are gorgeous and smell wonderful.  The sunshine today was really great; Hattie and I were able to play outside, albeit briefly.

The solo parenting lark seems to be going fairly well; we were at the zoo all day yesterday, which was great. Very cold, and the normal cafe is closed for refurbishment, so we squeezed into a fantastic tent with tables and catering and all sorts for lunch (chips).  Hattie was most excited about seeing a tiger, fairly close to, and they are BIG; Lucy was happy to see the lions, announcing that they were all GIRL lions actually and then was very pleased to see the male strolling around.  The penguins were noisy and smelly, the little spider monkeys were delightful (Hello little monkey!), the Komodo dragons were forbidding but the best animal of all was the grey squirrel that was climbing around the monkeys' enclosure.  My favourites were the gorillas and the Tropical Birds Pavilion (selfishly, lovely and warm in there); we are members which is why I suffered London Zoo in February.  I'm looking forward to taking them in the Summer, as going there on my own was a piece of cake.

I'm knackered though, and I'm constantly feeling I'm running twenty minutes late.  And some bastard in the States has cloned my card; it's only thanks to first direct being great that I found out.  So no credit card for a week and a half, irritating.

Have a zoo picture courtesy of Lucy.  Hattie and I are Great Apes.  As are you.