THE ancient mariners at my local pub, the Saddle Inn, insist seasons don't start until the 21st day of their opening month.
But, with the onset of March, there is a feeling of spring in the air on Lancashire's Fylde coast.
Here at Edmonds Towers, Great Marton, the blackbirds are busy reinforcing their nest for fresh chicks; blue-tits cavort about the budding Buddleia tree, and our robin has left early for his summer excursion.
In nearby rural villages, crops have survived downpours and cattle ruminate on the rising sap.
There are cows aplenty, too, within Edmonds Towers. She Who Knows has always admired them, from her horse riding years. If she paused on her mount then they would come to gaze at her over hedgerows; if she cantered by, then the cattle would join in, running alongside to see what was going on to excite such activity."No wonder the expression, 'Nosey, old cow'!" She Who says.
Now we have china cows on our cottage-style shelves, peering in turn at pictures and statuettes of horses She Who Knows has admired.
And who does know? Come summer, we two may even ride again. It will be a different 'Saddle' for me to get sore from . . .
In dedication, however, to our neighbouring 18th-Century Saddle Inn, I have been writing a period mystery/romance set in Great Marton. Entitled 50 Shades of Bass, it has a wide cast of present and past characters of repute.
The novel's first three chapters appear on our Story/Chapter page.
I hope you enjoy these early extracts. The finished book should be published both in paperback and on Kindle this summer.
If you want an enjoyable read in the meantime, try this website's Books page.
Travel tales feature on our Memoir page, which takes us by overnight sleeper from Cairo to the Valley of Kings.
Last, but far from least, we Stop The Clocks with the moving lines of W.H.Auden on our Poem page.
Strictly for the birds? Not at all!
There's much here for you to ruminate upon - in fact, until those cows come home.
So, let's spring into 2014!
