February 3

 The sun hadn't shone in days,  so when it finally appeared yesterday I basked in the warmth of it all.  Our morning run was beautiful, bright and cloudless.  My skin craved sun.  The snowdrops appeared, they were happy to see it too.

This is ugly thing is rhubarb forcing it's way through the soil, I pine for April and rhubarb tarts.

The brussel sprouts are still growing, getting bigger slowly, I hope to harvest before spring!  (You see the slug wrapped around the stem at the top of the picture?)

The black currant bushes have the most beautiful tiny pink buds.

This is the most gnarly looking tree in the yard.  It was hacked back to only two feet high last spring and it's somehow still alive.  Based on it's prickly and deformed trunk/branches I'd safely say it's very old.

It seems strange to end with a salad I didn't even bother to plate on my last day of salads, after I took such care with all the previous.  This one was amazing though, an awesome broccoli salad.  I used the recipe on on my site here.  Minus the bacon, plus little cubes of cheddar cheese (best part!), with regular milk rather than buttermilk.  So good...so good!