February

 After the quietness of January, February comes and goes in a rush. It's helped no doubt by being shorter than other months, but it seems like a time when lots of things are happening. Snowdrops and early crocus are bursting into flower. Daffodils aren't far behind. Days are getting noticeably longer and a little sun has me dreaming of summer.

The first signs of Spring encourage me to get out and about, particularly to places where I hope to find snowdrops. This year I've only been to local places - Shipley Country Park, privately owned gardens at Thornbridge Hall and Hopton Hall, and National Trust properties at Calke and Kedleston - but all were delightful after a damp winter.

In between days out, there were family birthdays to celebrate, and a couple of baby-sitting dates. Compared to last month, February has been busy, busy, busy.

The end of the month saw me off on my first short break of the year - a weekend trip to the Lake District. It was wetter than I'd have liked but wonderful to get away for a few days. Now it's time to really start thinking about this year's holidays ...