Hellebore for Kim

Lovely day today, despite dreich weather. Managed to get outside at lunchtime with my little charge, who is not so little anymore: going to be 12 soon! Afterwards I headed off for a late birthday lunch (big day was over a month ago!) with my friend Kitty. We went to Woodruffs, which was the UK's first organic cafe/restaurant at the time of its opening in 1998. We used to go there a lot for coffee, back in the day, to the kids' section when we were surrounded by children. Now those same curly headed boys are at college doing A levels or BTecs! Not quite as cute as when they were two.

Eventually I hauled myself home to finish preparing the spare room for my friend Kim, who is arriving by train tonight. I used to look after her daughter three years ago in London. You can see the little girl here, and the following day's shot, taken when she was two. to make Kim welcome, I picked some hellebores from our dreadfully scruffy garden, to put in the bedroom. But I thought I'd blip them first! Was going to get out the 50D but then remembered that the super macro mode on my Olympus TG is pretty good.... think I will have to do a whole day or weekend school with the 50D before I can feel comfortable with remembering all the settings and controls.

Now it's time to kick back and enjoy the coal fire: it's turned cold again! Supposedly the temperature's going to reach 17C on Saturday. We shall see.