WET WEATHER

 Here in my corner of Devon, as in much of the UK, we are getting used to being soaked. Almost a quarter of the way through 2024 finds this garden a sea of spongy grass/moss, fading daffodils bowed down with raindrops, and a general air of melancholy. However most weeks have about one rain-free day, so little by little as the plants move into their Spring stage, we are beginning to get things done. I  nip outside with the camera whenever there's a dry interval.

The lawn has been mown, and yesterday I managed to carry out some overdue pruning of the climbing roses, all of which have been responding most enthusiastically to the wet weather! Don't look too closely at the photograph, because I've only given this one a light prune.

One more delight: our pear tree. Ever since we bought the pear tree, each successive Spring has seen frost destroy its blossom. This year: so far so good, there is blossom, and - fingers crossed - no sharp frosts. Don't hold your breath!

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We visited our son's house last week. This is in the process of being sold, so we were helping clear out the shed, but I took some time out to take some photographs. What was once a difficult, steep bank covered in weeds, was a picture of beautiful periwinkles.

 He has dotted other plants around, but has dug out the fuchsia I gave him a few years ago and we have potted it up back here in my garden for safe-keeping. This plant is the 'grandchild' of one originally owned by my father. I have one too, and they are very special to us. I'm sure other people inherit plants which they try to keep going after the original owners have died, and I find it comforting to imagine my father's surprise that the plants have outlived him for over forty years! Here's mine in full flower last October:

He also has an excellent crop of rhubarb, which unfortunately I forgot to raid before we left!

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Days out are few and far between in this weather, so I have devoted the last three months to a marathon session of writing my third book. It's nearly finished - or at least, the end is in sight. It has been an exhausting marathon of mental exercise, but one which I have absolutely loved doing, and I feel sure my readers will enjoy it. There's a little way still to go, with editing etc. so I will need to continue working hard to get it published in the Autumn, which is my hope.

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Speaking of reading, I have a book recommendation for you: 'TRUSTEE FROM THE TOOLROOM' by Neville Shute. Here are a brief description and my Goodreads review:

'Keith Stewart is an ordinary man. However, one day he is called upon to undertake an extraordinary task. When his sister's boat is wrecked in the Pacific, he becomes trustee for his little niece. In order to save her from destitution he has to embark on a 2,000 mile voyage in a small yacht in inhospitable waters. His adventures and the colourful characters he meets on his journey make this book a marvellous tale of courage and friendship.

This was Nevil Shute's last novel, published 1st January 1960, and written right at the end of the 1950s when life in Britain was a world apart from today. My parents owned this book, and I believe I now have it packed away somewhere - I didn't read it, because the title sounded dull. I missed something incredibly special, and I now have another lifetime best in my collection.

How to describe what makes this such a wonderful read? Well, it's not only the setting and the (now) historical interest of daily life at that time; the extraordinary ease with which a person who has never before left his country could, for reasons of integrity seldom seen nowadays, drop everything and go; and the fantastic descriptions of a trip half-way round the world. What makes this story rise above so many others is the portrayal of the characters, many of whom are so likeable. The simplicity of life in that era, the trustworthiness of so many people, and their ability to circumvent great difficulties - all of these touched my heart and made me yearn for a way of life gone and forgotten.

Five glittering stars. Would I read this again? Need you ask! Highly recommended, and a book to remember.'

If you can get hold of a copy, this would make a great read over Easter, especially if the weather continues to be as wet as it's been today!

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I wish all of you a very HAPPY EASTER! Look after yourselves, and don't forget to let me have your comments and tips which I always enjoy.