The very hairy caterpillar

Good to catch up with Andrea when she came for her mandolin lesson this morning. 

Then, after a quick lunch, MrM and I went up to the Common to help with the 'pre-winter clean up'. Other than Steve, the organiser, no-one else turned up! We spend around 90 minutes walking around the path - not much litter to pick up, but several mouldy pumpkins, a horrendous Christmas wreath from last year, and a dead pigeon all went into the rubbish sack. Bird feeders and squirrel feeders were assessed for need of repair, and replaced/restocked, and the beech branches and shrubby plants around the spindle trees were thinned slightly. Time well spent. MrM and I had a wander round the woods afterwards, before heading for home to warm up!
The hairy caterpillar was climbing, very very slowly, up a plaque on the information hut.

In to Berwick later for a fish & chip supper followed by a concert by The People's String Foundation, organised by Highlights Rural Touring Scheme. Concerts in Spittal always make for a great evening, and this was no exception - good music (by two musicians, joined in the second half by their virtual orchestra, on video), several friends in the audience, a glass of wine during the interval, and we won a box of biscuits in the raffle!