February Fill-Dyke*

A dramatic day. There is a great deal of water flowing around us, some of it over the roads, some of it too deep to cycle through. Some could be by-passed on raised footways, some required retreat and diversion

On our doorstep, the warmth and moisture has encouraged the growth of what I think is 'star-jelly' - Latin name 'Nostoc' - a cyannobacterium. These are an ancient life-form that were the first organisms ever to master photosynthesis. They were responsible for the introduction of oxygen into earth's atmosphere, over a period of 400 million years, from 2.4 billion years ago to 2 billion years ago. And here they are growing on our drive; I find that makes me a little light-headed

For all the drama and the window into deep time, the most satisfying sight of the day was the bold colours of the mundane crocus - still hanging on to its integrity, when most of its fellows have been flattened or dismembered by wind and rain. Slugs are also enjoying the warmth and wetness, but I quite like the limited effect of their attention in this case

*This was my grandfather's expression. I've discovered it is also the title of quite a famous painting