The cows are back, but still no sign of any blue skies or sunshine. This spring is like a Dickens novel. Full of character but wreathed in gloom.

As water seeps up from the saturated ground and creates ponds and lakes across fields, the ducks are moving in to join the cows.

In the news is a new longitudinal study of drinking alcohol. There seems to be a correlation between a shortened lifespan by drinking to excess and also not drinking at all. So what I learned today is drinking in moderation won’t kill you faster than the rest of life might. I’ll continue to take my wine small and regular.

Hanging out at the lake this evening. Mostly ducks and geese at the lake this evening. Gary the Great Crested Grebe was still sleeping but Chris the Cormorant turned up and put on his usual show.

Meanwhile once home, I caught this squirrel merrily tucking into the fresh leaf buds on the neighbours tree.