The Wild Honeysuckle

Fair flower, that dost so comely grow,
Hid in this silent, dull retreat,
Untouched thy honied blossoms blow,
Unseen thy little branches greet:
  No roving foot shall crush thee here,
  No busy hand provoke a tear…

by Philip Freneau (1752–1832)


An enjoyable sunny morning reading in the garden, followed by a far from enjoyable afternoon at the computer, trying to sort out my car insurance, the less said the better...

As I sit here typing, there’s a lonesome magpie sitting outside repeatedly calling for its mate. Earlier today I heard a commotion and found two magpies in the street, pinning down and viciously attacking a third bird, whilst a fourth magpie tried to fight off the attackers. I was about to go outside and see if I could rescue the poor bird when it managed to fly away into a neighbour’s garden. However, the two attackers continued their pursuit and their attack. I couldn’t see what happened next but the noise was horrible, and judging by the lonesome magpie outside now, I fear the worst. Nature can really be so cruel sometimes…