Nature Notes

In Moscow it's 30 degrees below and they're talking about "Russia's new ice age," but this hasn't stopped people celebrating the feast of the Epiphany by cutting holes in the river ice and taking a dip to wash away their sins.

Here we've had a run of warm, misty days. I was dragging the wheelie bin in off the street and I saw that the daffodils and crocus were beginning to push their noses out in our neighbour's front yard.