Whilst many people worked over Christmas and the New Year, it has been this week that has seen most people returning to work in a ‘normal’ capacity. New Year oftens means resolutions, a tightening of the purse strings, a loosening of the waistband and a slightly quieter, more reflective time. For me (and more of the loosening waistband, later) and my family, anyway. His Nibs is in training for the London Marathon and The Things and I have resolved (in so far as a 3 and 4 year olds resolve to do anything, e.g. “Mummy says…”) to get outdoors more. In fairness to the little fellas, they would be outside all day, given half a chance, but I am guilty of occasionally looking outside, seeing the cold / gloomy / miserable weather and doing a token gesture of half an hour in the garden before tempting them back in with the promise of Playdoh and hot milk (not together.)
This year, we are going back to nature, getting out, getting muddy and spending at least an hour every day in the great outdoors*. If you’re intending to get outdoors and, like us, are in East Anglia then Lackford Lakes is a great place to visit. Even now, in the months we think of as a little gloomy, you can see a vast array of beautiful birds including shoveler, lapwing, goosander, bittern and goldeneye (who knew it was a bird? I confess I didn’t) descend on the lakes during the winter.
The Trust are in the process of designing new projects at the Lackford Lakes Nature Reserve and Barry and the team at our Stowmarket store are delighted to have donated a new TV for their vistors centre. The TV will broadcast live feeds from around the reserve (nest boxes, mammal cams, bumblebee cams, etc!). Now I can enjoy nature, indoors, out of the rain / snow with a nice cup of tea! There really is no excuse, so grab your wellies and your binoculars – I’ll bring the butties!
*unless there’s a minus temperature. I don’t do minus.
