Velvet Shank

The oppressive greyness continues - today there weren't even droplets to brighten the scene!

I nipped into Hobbycraft to buy part of my family Secret Santa present, and then into M & S for some socks for Pete - it's become an unbreakable Christmas tradition that he has new socks on Christmas Day! I decided to have a quick look at the Food Hall, but this was rather packed, so I didn't hang around too long, though did manage to find some interesting nibbles to see us through the festive season.

After my exposure to the commercialism of Christmas I needed a bit of time mooching among the damp leaf litter and fungi of my local wood. Not so much around now, although there were a couple of good clumps of Velvet Shank, a reliable midwinter fungus, this time on Hazel. It can fruit in the cold because it produces antifreeze compounds making it frost tolerant. These frost tolerant adaptations allow the mushroom to fruit when most other species are done, so it has a competitive edge.

This evening I was rather hoping we might have some certainty about Christmas arrangements, but, as usual, Boris is dithering and can't make up his mind. I wouldn't like to have to make a decision, because it is a complex situation with many unknown factors, but keeping everyone on tenterhooks is really not good for the country's mental health. Why can't he be clear, like Nicola Sturgeon or Mark Drakeford?