Wonderful warm sunny days and a paddock full of daffodils in full bloom helps dispel thoughts of the long winter. It was magical to return to the garden bursting into its spring enthusiasm, tulips chasing the daffodils up and no end of birds intent on recovering the winter losses by pairing and breeding.
Noelle and Tim had an exciting adventure in Namibia, first looking into health care delivery, malnutrition and simple educational interventions but then with our 'rest and relaxation'. We took a well experienced guide/driver into incredibly wild areas where we would not see a single person for 48 hours or more. We camped in the wilderness and thoroughly enjoyed the landscape and the hope of spotting game and later seeing the local people. Unfortunately our guide took us into a river without assessing the depth and speed of the water and we became a boat briefly, then rolled slowly, until the obvious way out was through the passenger window. A short swim took us to safety and we then spent a couple of hours recovering soggy kit. A kind African walked with us to the nearest town - six and a half hours walk away trying not to think about lions, hyemas, leopard and elephant. We were unharmed but sadly all my photo kit, laptop and hard drives went so the photo memories will be very limited. Not to worry - a good excuse to go back!
Meanwhile the cottages are going well and the summer looks almost fully booked. I am hoping my bike park in Pickering will be ready for the world cup mountain bike championships in May. The Pickering Town Map that I helped to produce has been set up in the car parks in town and has attracted good comments.
When I retired from my practice in Pickering the staff gave me a wildlife watching hut - a box on legs really - so I hope to finalise design and get it built in time for the late summer evenings. All are welcome to check out our black and white friends.
