Spring equinox. Tuesday 21 March 2023. Evening

Today, finally, the day is a bit longer than the night. I still have anxiety and nightmares, and worry about what people think. And I worry that I don't eat enough fruit. But there was a new bird singing when I left work, and it was still light. Thinking back to this time last year,...

Wandering vanishing Wendover Woods

Tracks on path in Wendover Woods. May 2021, photo by Jessica Zarins I find myself in Wendover again. For the past five years I’ve been coming a few times a year to look after a sensitive cat when his human goes away. The village, the house, and of course the cat are all close to...

May the Fourth be with you

The late coming of spring and warmth reminds me of the even later, slower and colder springs of a Nordic childhood. The freshness prolonged, the miracle of returning life stretched out. As the days grow lighter, the load gets lighter. Even under my thick winter coat. I'm relieved at the approach of spring and the...

Spring Equinox

Spring time for Cambridge. Photo by Jessica Zarins, March 2021 A day of balance in the Northern Hemisphere. Day and night, the tilt of the planet, light and dark — all in perfect harmony for one spin around the axis. Personally I’m a bit off balance after last night’s zoom drinks. I’m preparing a new...

Friday 26 February 2021. Evening

The mornings are lighter, the evenings are longer. The load might be the same, but I'm getting stronger. I've returned to the river. It's the earliest I've ever started my regular swims in the year. It's cold of course, but refreshing in a way that will start to dispel as spring brings warmth and summer....

Distancing: Day 35

Someone killed Benny the Bunny. The culprit is still at large, but I can assure his sacrifice was not for nothing.   Today has been a social day. I've spoken to a friend on furlough who is struggling with routine, sleep, purpose, and weight. I advise her to find something to do, and at the...

Distancing: Day 18

Is this lockdown a waste of time, or a gift of time? Is life on hold or slipping out of my hands? I'm cut off from the world yet crave privacy. I take to the empty streets and paths while I can. The cows have returned to Midsummer Common and the Mill Ponds. A sure...

Distancing: Day 6

Today I've been outside most of the day. In my garden. With the radio loud with pop-songs and adverts all neighbours kept at a safe distance. I cleaned my bikes, I drank tea, I read, and I napped, with the headache oscillating throughout. The Mother's Day sun that has finally appeared and warmed the cold...

The real world

The real world isn't what it screens. The real world is bird song from species you can't name; it's the fog your breath makes on Walpurgis Eve, the sun finally high enough at 7am to reflect the ripples of the river on the branches of the trees. Cows pooing while they fuck, spiders eating gnats...