Where did February go?

I can't believe it's the end of the month already! Where did it go?

My month was swallowed up by work and illness, I'm afraid. My half-term holiday brought a chest infection, sinus infection, minor gynae surgery and pleurisy - which I thought was a medieval, or Victorian at the latest, disease. Alas, it's alive and well and living on Teesside.

I recovered enough to go back to work at the start of the new half term...



J and I visited the newly opened RSPB bird sanctuary at Saltholme. It looks like it will be really wonderful in a year, when all the walks are open and the landscaping naturalises a bit more. It's amazing how quickly things start to look like they have been growing there for ever.



These two certainly approve and are voting with their flippers.


Some very sad news: my new nephew died before his birth. My brother and his wife are devastated, naturally.

Not snowed under

We had a little snow. Not like most of the country. Here in the frozen North East we have been, largely, problem-free. My school has been without closure (awww!!!!) and the roads have been passable.

Our parish church

We're very fortunate to have an amazing building to house the church to whose parish our school belongs. St Hilda's Church was built in the 12th century on the site of an abbey established by St Aidan, from Lindisfarne, in the 600s.



My class and I had a private tour this week, thanks to some wonderful volunteers who took immense time and trouble to explain, to the children, the features of a building they take for granted. You mean everyone doesn't get to use a medieval building for concerts and celoebrations whenever they feel like it?

I'm nithered

from this morning's walk in the snow down at the Tees estuary. And I had my vest on. (English vest, not American vest).


My right ear is still tingling. I really need to make a hat with better ear protection. (As if I need an excuse, but anyway...) The car told us it was 3 degrees as we drove away, but there was no way on earth that reflected the wind-chill factor down there. I was really thankful of my cowl. J says he'll have one for tucking his chin into, but he can't stand polo necks so I'm not sure how I'll make that work.


We seem to have quite a colony of curlews down there now. We saw at least ten, this morning, pottering around in the grass. Also saw some birds I think may be smew but, according to my bird book, it's unlikely, this far north.


J wasn't bothered by the cold. Nothing gets through his Irwin.