Why

To the surgery for my flu jab this morning. All very well organised with three short queues - under 65s flu, over 65s flu, and Covid. In and out very quickly!

Batch of French lentil soup made. Then cleaning and tidying. The trouble with having the flat on the market is having to keep it in a suitable state at all times for possible viewings! So far there have been none...

Liz and Martin are coming round this evening, for a catch up and to play tunes with MrM

Why are some holly leaves spiky while others are smooth-edged? Finally got round to looking it up! Apparently holly is known for its variations in leaf form on a single tree - heterophylly. Once thought to be a genetic trait, it now seems that seems that holly trees may respond to local conditions. The prickly leaves are often at the bottom of the trees, as a defence against herbivores (and other 'damage', like pruning). They tend to be smaller than the smooth leaves, possibly because when the leaves are damaged, the regrowing leaves are smaller and spikier. Towards the top of the tree, where damage is less likely, the leaves are smooth-edged.