Watch Out

The Wolf Moon shone all night and the sun shone all day, and now the gibbous moon is shining again - 98.8% full, according to my app, but already not a perfect circle according to my eye. Our PV panels show a flawless waxing and waning of the light - uninterrupted by cloud cover (it's been windy too - it will have been a good day for UK renewable energy)

It's too soon to talk about spring, but look: flowers. Elsewhere there are breaking buds. Out in the blinding light - but wrapped in many layers - it felt like the promise of a promise. Pruning the apple tree, using a rope-operated tool on the end of a telescopic pole is an awkward morning's work. The tool gets snagged in branches, so does the rope; the rope wraps around the pole, and will not close the jaws; positioning the cutters at 3 or 4 metres distance needs a clear view and a steady hand. Doing all this while not trampling the aconites, snowdrops, cyclamen or grape hyacinth turns the entire performance into an elaborate ballet