17 April 2010

We are now in the third day of the effects of the volcanic ash clouds drifting over the UK and Europe from Iceland. Air traffic is at a complete  standstill, food is rotting (why not give it away free to the local poor rather than allowing it to rot? One reason I heard was that the Kenyans do not eat mange tois – I would have thought they would eat anything if they were hungry enough, which we are given to understand thousands of them are.). As a result of the lack of flights tens of thousands of potential passengers are stranded and are making their way to various European ports, by donkey, camel or taxi, in the hope of picking up some sort of boat or ferry.. There’s even talk of this going on for some weeks, if so I have some trepidation as the effect on the UK economy which is, heaven  knows, is fragile enough. Will it, for example, affect the good doctors travel plans from Australia to Europe and on to stay with us at the beginning of May?.

At the other end of the scale the sky today was deep blue (with no evidence of the volcanic ash which I gather is now up at around 35,000 feet) and sun shone strongly,  making it warm enough to sit in the garden and read for the first time this year.

The house and garden are looking very much at their spring best with the newly thatched roof setting off the picture postcard scene, edged with daffodils, tulips, hyacinths and other spring flowers. More than one passerby stopped to admire and hum and hah beauty of what they saw.