Springtime

All over the northern hemisphere, we are noting the tell tale signs of Spring ousting the dark days of Winter. The southern hemisphere stole away our light, our colour and our joy but now we are retrieving what was lost as their early autumn heralds their winter.

Today I did not wear a coat as I ventured into the city centre to visit two bookshops. I was looking for any novel by James Kelman having enjoyed "Dirt Road" so much. Though this mission was unsuccessful I did manage to buy four other books - "Cuddy" by Benjamin Myers, "The Stone Diaries" by Carol Shields, "Walking the Rivelin" by Sue Shaw and Keith Kendall and "BOSH! More Plants" by my only born son and his old school friend Henry Firth.

Two books were liberated from the Oxfam book shop on Glossop Road and two from the Orchard Square branch of "Waterstones".

How lovely it was to be out there in the sunshine and people's hearts seemed to be lifted. You could sense it in the air.

As I am always looking out for striking photo opportunities, I regret not stopping on Surrey Street to pull my camera out of my backpack. There was a street musician sitting in the sunshine with The Central Library behind him. His was playing his saxophone with his eyes closed, lost in the music, lost in the springtime air. Silly old me.

Yesterday I had an appointment at The Royal Hallamshire Hospital - to be precise the Dermatology Department. I met three lovely women - Kelly the receptionist, Nina the nurse and Indira the consultant. What I have got on my left temple is a benign keratinous growth that looks exactly like a Kellogg's rice krispie. At least that is what I have told Little Miss Curious - our Phoebe. The krispie will be "scraped" away under local anaesthetic soon after we return from our holiday in Egypt.

After the appointment, I walked down to Ecclesall Road via The Botanical Gardens. On this particular passing visit, I noticed that the dormant crocuses had now burst through. Some people were sitting on the grass, talking or reading or just enjoying being outside under a blue sky. I think this activity is called "chillaxing".

It is a nice way to greet the springtime. All pictures shown here are from yesterday.

The same reader