Archive for February 4, 2007

Springtime!

February 4, 2007 at 5:48 pm · Filed under seasons, tavistock, uk

The big tree in Paddons Row is in blossom!

I was passing it today in bright sunshine and balmy springlike temperatures, when I became aware of a strong scent of blossom.  Looking up, it was clearly coming from the tree.

The best view of the tree is approaching it from the south.  Doing so later, I could see its colour is predominantly yellow!

This tree (whose species I don’t recognise) is in a very sheltered spot.  But even so, scented blossom like this should mean it’s at least April, if not May!  Perhaps it just gave up waiting for winter, as the longer daylight hours return without the customary colder spell that traditionally happens between about November and March.

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A crisis for PM

February 4, 2007 at 1:23 pm · Filed under politics, uk

Last autumn, under pressure from his friends, The Liar promised to step down within a year.  The pressure went away, and with it the appearance of his having any intention to go.  That leaves the cynics among us half-expecting a new major crisis (a terrorist outrage looks a good candidate) that’ll call for his full attention so the subject goes away again next time the pressure builds.

Now we have asian bird ‘flu.  In a farm owned by a company that’s a byword for industrial-grade production of foul plastic food.  It’s totally out of season for it to have been brought by migrating wild birds.  Could this be the crisis he needs?  What does he think?

At the same time, we have an ongoing police investigation into “cash for honours”, a scandal concerning a practice that’s by no means new, and is a good deal less corrupt than much of what this government has done.  To be brought down by that might be a way for his historical record to escape very lightly from focussing on more serious crimes.

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