Speaks like a Magistrate

Remember that stag's head oak I described on April 17th? At the time I said it was one of Dad's favourites and that it always looked like it was on the verge of death, but somehow struggled on. Well for months afterwards it sat there sulking and leafless, and I wondered whether I should admit that it had finally succumbed. But No; it is in leaf again, as far as that goes.

One exciting thing I neglected to say yesterday was that we saw a kingfisher at the "bottom" pond, just below the "Cloud Chamber" sculpture (see www.StourValleyArts.org.uk). No idea what he/she was doing there. The pond is not natural - it was built a few years back using a grant obtained by Friends of Kingswood and as far as we know there are no fish in it. It is not stream-fed, so there's no obvious way of fish getting there. perhaps kingfishers eat newts too? But it was definitely a kingfisher - that's one bird you cannot mistake for any other!

Meanwhile, Mum is dining out on the fact that she was described by a person we know only briefly, to a mutual friend as "speaking like a magistrate". She is chuffed to bits with this, of course!

And so, on the last night of "Rome" and the last Harry Potter (Mum had read it by 02:24 last night), I'll wish you good night

Deefs