Reasons to be cheerful II

Number one - pulmonaria.  One of my favourite spring flowers is in bloom right now.  Pulmonaria, also known as lungwort, pokes its blue-purple heads up in March to offer a welcome relief from the winter weather.  It cheers me up massively to see if come back, and is also a must-visit for the local bee population, so it's very much win-win.

Number two - tadpoles.  Ok, so I did mention them in passing last week, but it's the first year that frogs have actually spawned in my container pond, so this is a big deal for me.  I spent a time today peering into the pond and watching them, go about their own little lives in complete oblivion to the wider world.  It's not only a reminder that life will go on, but it also reinforces the optimism that there are things to look forward to - like watching these little critters turn into frogs, by which time hopefully things will be back to normal for us, too.

Number three - Roman Britain.  I'm really enjoying the book Roman Britain, A New History, by Guy de la Bédoyère.  It's a delve into what I think is the most interesting period of British history, and a fascinating exploration of the governance, military activities, and urban and rural life of Britain under Roman rule.

Number four - crumble.  My wife makes the best crumble, and she made one today.