Officially Spring

First day of spring (or so the calendar says...).

The weather isn't really any different but we have noticed the sudden sprouting of daffodils and the odd crocus in our walks in the fields. There is a slightly more animated chatter in the birdsong also.
However, most significant is that we have observed PEOPLE in our street! Doors to houses are opening and the first tentative steps of Residenticus Britannica are being made outside. It's even possible that we may even meet our next door neighbour before too long! Forget David Attenborough documentaries about the post-hibernation activities of bears, hedgehogs, tortoises (whatever), there is a virtual National Geographic episode on our doorstep! It really is amazing to see the difference in everyone's activities as the days grow longer and the weather taunts us into believing that the sun is just around the corner. People's attitudes are changing also—smiling and waving seems to be a little bit more regular—and not just by fellow Aussies, Kiwis and South Africans!


Oh, and a note of clarification: We don't live in London. I guess that when most people leave Australia to move to England, they do take up residence in the megalopolis but we live over an hour away (in a fast car on a motorway). We live in a southern county in a semi-rural location. Lovely—but no capital city. We are close(ish) to Reading on this map....sort of above Southampton...west of London... I think there has been some confusion...



P.S. You must have all been content in the acceptance that we came to no harm during our recent Devon expedition as we arrived home to no phone messages from the antipodes checking on our safety! So you don't really care—we're tough! But we will punish you by showing you some photos to make you jealous! ;-)

Why we own a good vacuum cleaner

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Three


And it's still only 2 degrees outside. Someone PLEASE tell that to the spaniel!

2 get frostbite in Devon

Friday 3 March, 2006
Dear Diary,
Today I felt cold. Actually, very cold. To be honest I couldn't feel anything I was that cold.
Who'd have thought that a beautiful Devon farmhouse could mimic Artic weather conditions so effectively? I never knew that my hands could go THAT colour blue, and that a fully grown woman could forgo personal dignity and wear 4 pairs of trousers all at once (not me, I might add-someone even colder than I).

But Diary, how wonderful!

PS Man in giant snowpea/mangetout outfit consistenty claimed he wasn't cold. Evidence suggests otherwise.

Two go mad in Devon*

A quick test for you today, dear readers:
Where are we going for the next 36 hours? Use these images to confirm your answer...




Yes! We have been very generously invited to go to Devon! We were a bit bewildered at first as to why we were invited to go to an area of outstanding natural processed luncheon meat, then realised that it was a region in the West Country (and that there is ANOTHER use of the word "devon". Who'd have thought?!)

So, in the spirit of all things Famous Five, we are off on a walking weekend adventure. Look out for news reports of Australians being stranded in snowdrifts...Do you think we'll be warm enough in our Stubbies?

*with sincere apologies to Enid Blyton, Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders