Monthly Archives: April 2017

Today dawned with a bit of a shock, after the the unseasonably gorgeous weather we had over the weekend: it was largely cloudy, and the temperature had dropped by about 10º. I thought that if I went for an early … Continued

I don’t have much to report today, owing to the fact that I’ve spent most of it buried in Lightroom, processing image files from Amsterdam. If you missed it, there’s one I’m quite pleased with of the Rijksmuseum Library here. … Continued

Hark at me, anthropomorphising again. It’s not wicked of course, though its habits are reprehensible. This is Melecta albifrons, the Common Mourning-bee, which is a cleptoparasite of our lovely friend Anthophora plumipes, the Hairy-footed Flower Bee. Instead of setting to … Continued

There are a number of clues in this image as to where R and I have spent the past few days, and many of you will probably have guessed the location straight away. But in case you’re still wondering, let … Continued

The day started cold and dark, with a threat of rain, but R and I were not downhearted – at least until we reached the Van Gogh Museum and saw the queue at the entrance. Luckily I thought to ask … Continued

This was a day on which I wish I’d been wearing a step monitor, because I think I’d be able to feel pretty pleased with myself. We began the day with a visit to the museum Ons’ Lieve Heer op … Continued

R and I spent a happy morning wandering around the Rijksmuseum – I didn’t see it before its lengthy and extensive refit, but it certainly is a beautiful gallery now. They’re happy for you to take photos of the permanent … Continued

There are places I can imagine going to, and arriving feeling grateful that the journey took a mere nine hours – but Amsterdam isn’t one of them. We left Worcestershire just after dawn in brilliant sunshine, and had a good … Continued

R and I did more gardening today; I finished the rough tidy-up of the pear tree bed, and he pulled out a barrow-load of bramble and ivy from one of the long borders that we’ve not yet found the time … Continued

Today started bright and warm, and in the early part of the afternoon R and I spent a couple more hours practising the Art Of Rough Gardening. One good thing about a garden as overgrown as ours is that you … Continued