River of Stones 31

And the last one -

Nine swans in a line
flying north from orchard to river
in a fanfare of white wings

River of Stones 30

Missed two, what with birthday shenanigans and all, but here goes for the last two:

After each frost the winter jasmine
puts out new candles of yellow flower.

happy birthday

Lovely grand-daughter came over yesterday dressed as Snow-White, to help me open my birthday cards. I was immensely proud to see she had signed hersherself - it included a Peppa Pig badge, which I will be wearing!

Then she said "You need a cake. You can't make your own birthday cake, I have to make it for you" And she did (with help). Pink icing and all the sprinkles in the kitchen.

Best birthday ever!

This is the view out over the Carse from the castle. I was trying to get our abbey in, but I don't think you can make it out. I think it was new year when I took this picture, but not much has changed since then, although the snow has gone from all but the most sheltered corries on the Ochils. There is still ice on the pond and the garden ground is too hard for gardening, though I may be able to clean the greenhouse and the cold frame over the weekend. And then I can tink about sowing the very first half-hardy annuals, and the year will begin.

The River of Stones project is coming to an end, and it will run again in July. It has been very good for making me write down the things I'm noticing on the garden and along the river; I'll be keeping it up, at least in my notebooks, and now the light is getting better there should be more photos to go with them. I am stacking up new books to mention, too - Defragmenting Sappho by Kevin Cadwallender, a new departure for him, and Slokt by Sea by Nalini Paul, which I hope to review next week.

And meanwhile, the MS of Wherever We Live Now has been sent off and I'm beginning to look beyond it for new poems. Lots of ice poems so far, and a fair bit of mortality and mythology, and music too I hope. It's going to be a busy year.

River of Stones 27

Pink orchid flowers
tethered to a bare dry stem.

River of Stones 26

Crocus stems between
autumn's leaves still lying

River of Stones 25

A guitar that sings like a sax
a voice that plays like a cello.

Richard Thompson rocks, frankly!