January joy

January can be a thankless month, with the sparkle and glitter of Christmas long gone, and the prospect of many weeks of gloomy skies and mud  before spring really gets underway. We all have to try and find joy where we can, and for me the regular visits of a family group of long-tailed tits, busily flitting through the lichen-clad trees, always raise my spirits. Of course, a period of crisp sunny days, with frost and snow, would also do the trick!

Today I've felt particularly off kilter, waking up to the news of David Bowie's death. His music was part of the soundtrack to my teenage years, and his creativity and facility for re-inventing himself were ground-breaking. His influence will be felt for many, many years, not least in the much more nuanced and sensitive approach to gender that has developed in UK society since the 1970's.

The amount of money  pledged to save Blipfoto creeps steadily upwards, and has now reached over £122,000. Let's hope that's enough to provide a firm basis for tomorrow's negotiations. If you haven't already pledged, now would be a good time to put some money in the pot.