Winter Jasmine flowers

I've been rather lazy again today, enjoying a long languid soak in a hot bath with my good book of the moment, A single swallow, written by Horatio Clare. It details the amazing journey that swallows take on their migration back from Southern Africa to England's springtime, and Horatio's overland journey to see if he could watch them in flight.

I noticed the bird feeders in the garden needed a bit of cleaning and replenishment so went outside to attend to that. It is still relatively warm, which I'd noticed last night when standing outside last night enjoying the quiet of the evening. The sky was completely clear and the stars were very bright, but the high pressure meant that there was unusually warm air from the south. I heard owls hooting and the sound of the rushing stream down below the back garden.

This afternoon I also managed to do a bit of weeding and dead heading of the violas, as well as cleaning the steps to the patio and clipping back the various climbing shrubs. But the best thing to see was the gorgeous yellow flowers of the Winter Jasmine, which must have come out today for the first time. I thought a blip of them, and their colourful surroundings, would cheer us all up in what is still the deep mid-winter. I also noticed that some bulbs' shoots were just poking through the soil readying for the coming displays.. I can't wait.