Rural idle (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Rural idle

10:39am Wednesday 11th March 2009

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EVERYONE seems to agree that the smell of Spring is in the air. In a desperate bid to smell it and escape from the odour of hamster that permeates our house I head to the plot.

Pleased to report that garlic planted last November has survived the harsh winter and is looking very green.

Onions planted at the same time have not been such a success but neighbour reports the same so I instantly feel relieved. A failure shared is always so much more palatable.

Compost is bought and thoughts turn to indoor sowings. Celeriac will be first and I am considering trying the guttering method for mange tout.

Back home I notice that hamster odour has been mixed with a more spicy smell and set about the house like an extra from CSI.

Discover bags of sweets called atomic fireballs about husband’s trousers and when challenged he admits that he has become a user of a website called ‘Everything Cinnamon’.

He heads off later that night to a Killers concert with his friends with atomic fireballs in his trousers. Decide to let it go. There are worse things that he could order than sweets online.

Whole family has been fired up this week by the search for the comet Lulin.

It will not be seen in these parts for another 1,000 years, so we can safely assume that none of us will ever see it again.

After two nights of cloudy skies we finally locate it with the telescope.

Following all the anticipation, peering at a faint ball of fuzzy gas is perhaps a bit of a let down.

But husband’s excitement is infectious and he reminds me that I am looking at something 38 million miles away.

Reach for the atomic fireballs and savour the historic astronomical moment.

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