Grey

Been under a blanket of cloud for what seems like an eternity. Grey, dismal, rainy and surprisingly chilly for the time of year. Woodpile continues to shrink due to the kitchen stove being lit in the evenings to keep warm while cooking. Seems like this winter will never end. Might even have to ask Christian to deliver yet more logs if this weather doesn't improve in the next couple of weeks. Looking out the window there's no sign of wind, just a stubborn greyness that refuses to move on. Still, I suppose all this rain is good for the countryside. Certainly looks green and lush out there with tall grasses shooting up in the fields and trees bursting into leafy splendour.

Down in the valley the little river has turned into a raging torrent of brown water that crashes into bends, further eroding the muddy banks. Took Jock down there for a walk a couple of days back. Kept well clear of the river though, didn't want him washed out to sea, so he drank from puddles instead.

Yesterday we went walkies up the mushroom forest. Mentioned this forest in a posting a while back. All the trees have unfortunately been cut down, their trunks stacked and lorried off to one of the many woodyards round these parts. However, I was pleased to see that the discarded tree branches have now been stacked into long rows with hundreds of newly planted saplings lined up in the open spaces inbetween. The old stuff will eventually rot down and disappear as the little saplings grow into towering trees. In about thirty or forty years time they'll be cut down, and so the cycle continues. At least those little saplings appreciate all this rain. Gives 'em a good start in life.