Oct 29
The veg patch has been ploughed, the clocks have rolled back and the flocks of geese and cranes have ceased their noisy flyovers on their way to warmer parts. A cosy space has been prepared in a shed for our beautiful goat, Julė, to spend her nights protected from the cold and rain, and with the feast of Samhain, we enter the dark half of the year. Read more
Capturing birds is not easy, especially in the late evening when they are busy feeding. They hover, they flap and flutter, they swoop and dive, they peck, they look around in rapid jerks, constantly on alert for predators or provisions. They are never still. Read more
Winter can be dull and gloomy, especially after the festive lights of Christmas have come down. Days are short and cold. Snow falls, making simple jobs like walking the dog or getting to the shops more difficult. But then the sun comes out. And magic happens… Read more
For our honeymoon we went to South Africa. We drove from Cape Town through the beautiful winelands Stellenbosch and Franschhoek to Oudtshoorn, where I sampled ostrich and crocodile for the first time. (Both were delicious!) While in Cape Town we drove south to the Cape of Good Hope. A small funicular brought us to the top of the point, where we found a signpost with distances to various destinations. Here’s a small selection of photos (taken with an old camera, so please excuse the quality), including one with my new name! Read more
Lithuanian graveyards are bustling at this time of year, not with the dead (as some movies might suggest), but with the living. In every town, in every village, people gather in graveyards to tidy graves in preparation for All Souls’ Day (Vėlinės). Read more
I’ve been sitting here quietly for so long even I’ve forgotten I’m here. I had dressed snugly for the cold October weather and warmth of the sun on my dark down coat is having a soporific effect. I’m awake but not fully aware as I gaze out from the high hide on the scene around me, patiently waiting for wildlife to appear. Read more
It’s curious how seemingly ordinary and even mundane moments can bring on a flash of nostalgia. Twice a day I walk the dog around our beautiful village. I never find it boring – there are always new things to see, whether it’s the coming and going of storks, the gradual change of the seasons, the cutting of hay and other crops or the sound of a pair of hedgehogs engaged in mating calls. There are lots of animals – at least one dog in every home, cats, ducks, geese, frogs, birds – but yesterday it was this horse that caught my eye and sent me into a kink of laughter. Read more
My first courgette (zucchini) flower of the season. Pure beauty. Read more
He’s getting older by the day. We can see it in his face. His eyes look tired and a little melancholic. Except, that is, when it’s time for a walk or when he’s presented with a juicy bone. His freckles and grey hairs have become more prominent, giving him the look of a wise old man. We can see it in his energy levels and the amount of time he spends napping. He’s nearly 100 in dog years so he’s doing well to be as fit and able as he is. But he’s slowing down. He’s well loved and contented. What a lovely old face he has. Read more
Winter changed to spring overnight, like someone flipped a switch. One day it was dark and grey with a distinct chill during the day and ground frost at night. The next day the sky was clear blue and temperatures hit 22˚ C (72˚ F). It was time, finally, to get out into the garden and start planting. While I was ankle and wrist-deep in earth, life sprung up all around me. The grass grew thick and lush, heavily peppered with blazing yellow dandelions. Here and there, pockets of blue and pink flowers added colour, while large white daisies looked pure and serene against their tangled green backdrop. What a beautiful office I have. Read more
A clear blue sky can be a thing of beauty. It brings warmth, clear air and a bright, happy mood. But sometimes a dark and sinister sky can be far more interesting. I find myself weaving tales as I look at these photos – will Thor suddenly appear with his mighty hammer, will a truck pull up to plant some meteorological measuring device into the centre of the impending cyclone, or will the houses simply lift and spin upwards into the sky, leaving grey Kansas for a Technicolor land of magic and munchkins. Read more
Walden is perhaps the most influential book I’ve never read. Thoreau’s tale of life in the woods was introduced to me while I was still in my teens via the film Dead Poets Society. Even then it struck a chord. “I went into the woods because I wanted to live deliberately… to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life…and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.” I like to think I’ve been sucking that marrow all my life, balancing studies and career with plenty of simple pleasures – food, friends, songs, travel. Read more
A low evening sun over fields of golden grasses. Lithe ladies sway and bend, bathed in long shadows and rich autumn colours. The sky is clear, the air silent, but somehow I hear music. A waltz, I think. Slow and smooth, it is the perfect soundtrack for these dancing girls. I walk through the fields, soothed by the warm glow of the sun and the rhythmic movement of the wheat, and wonder if perhaps there was something “unusual” about those mushrooms I picked this morning. Read more
My Food Odyssey 