I don’t know if it’s spring where you live – or if, on the
other side of the world you’re like my
sister and heading into autumn, but here in the UK it’s supposed to be heading
into – well into - spring. I say that ‘supposed
to be’ with resigned ruefulness
because it might be April 12th
– but at the moment there is no sign of spring.
At least not in the weather – which is as grey and wet and miserable as it has been all April long – and
before that really. There is an old
saying that March is supposed to ‘come in like a lion and go out like a lamb’ .
. .well, there was plenty of the ‘lion’ about March with snow blizzards and
high winds and freezing temperatures at
the beginning of the month - and at the
end. So that month never went out like a
lamb but more like and even bigger, even wilder lion. And March has been much the same, apart from one lovely weekend that I spent at Cirencester Royal Agricultural University,running a
writing retreat. So the weather was fine – and so was the company – but I spent most of the
days indoors and missed the sunshine.
And now, a couple of weeks into April, I’m still missing the
sun! But one
things I’m not missing are the other signs of spring in different ways . Our garden is full of birds singing their hearts
out on the tops of the trees (those are the blackbirds) to announce to the
world that they have a beautiful nest and are looking for a lady to share it
with. Then there are the starling family
who come and gobble down the suet and
seeds in the fat balls hanging on a
lower branch of another tree, or on the birdhouse. And
Tim Robin and his mate come down
to feed on the ground, eat suet cakes with insects in them ready to feed the
hatchlings from their eggs in their nest.
All these mean extra extra jobs for me to do as I fill up the feeding trays and the hanging
feeders. And now that the days are
getting a little warmer – I said ‘a little’, it’s not much – there is another
job, another set of critters to feed. The hedgehogs who live at the bottom of
the garden have woken up from their hibernation and they are hungry! They wander about in the night looking for
food to strengthen them after months of being curled up in the straw in their
special wooden houses to sleep away the worst of the winter. They must regret poking their noses out because as
soon as they venture into the garden it’s so cold and wet and windy that they
will wonder if it really is spring.
I’ve just been out to fill up all the feeder bowls and trays
and I can see little paw prints in the mud so I know they’re around.
So although the weather is distinctly doubtful, I’m still going to call it Spring – and hope
that from now on the days will brighten and the sun will appear. I think we
all need it.
But at least the book I’m working on revisions for opens in
the middle of a wild and blustery rain storm
- so the weather outside is proving some sort of inspiration, if not the
beauty of nature waking up in spring. Oh
well – as the rhyme goes:
March winds and April Showers
Bring forth May flowers.
We’ve had the first two (though it’s been April downpours,
not showers) so I’m hoping for plenty of those
flowers!
Raoul Cardini will have his revenge!
His preferred method? Ruthless, irresistible seduction!
Imogen O’Sullivan is horrified when charismatic tycoon Raoul breaks up her engagement and makes her his own convenient bride! She once surrendered everything to Raoul—body, heart and soul. But as he stalks back into her life it’s clear he has punishment in mind—not just passion! Can Imogen resist Raoul’s potent brand of delicious vengeance?
