SPRING STROLLS

Another sign of the season is the re-emergence of beautiful and deeply loved vintage cars (and, in the UK, convertibles owned by optimists). They are lovely vehicles, but not massively representative of their types, when you think about it. Most of their brethren were not so deeply loved, or so expensively cared for, and had more mud and scratches, and rather less polish.

SIGNS OF SPRING

Recently, I went on a spring hunt for types of flowers and blossoms - but there are less enjoyable signs of the season. It’s still too chilly and early for many insects – for which my headlight and visor are grateful. But other animals are in evidence – usually because they’ve been on the losing end of an encounter with a vehicle. I’ve seen badgers and squirrels and foxes, and even – unusually – a hare. Also a pheasant, which was a tragic sight of beautiful feathers wasted, waving in the wind.

So, when I saw a pheasant in full male feather strutting across the road ahead of me, I slowed down and revved just enough to scare him into jumping and racing the rest of the way. The car behind me wasn’t too happy, and I’m sure the bird wasn’t either – but surely he could better afford to lose his dignity than his little pheasant life.