Sunrise And Sunset At Norton Conyers

It was leaves again on Saturday morning and this time there was no Nikki with her chatter to keep the monotony at bay. However it did give me the chance to pluck up the courage to reverse the tractor up the slope of the compost heap whilst no one was watching, it's quite a tight space to get into and I managed to do half a dozen times, so that's another fear laid to rest. At least it was a beautiful morning and lovely to see sunrise by the house before work started. Afternoon saw me pruning the redcurrants, they fruit on last years growth so all the new wood must be cut back to maintain a compact shape. I thought it would be nice to listen to my personal radio as I worked, but in the end I didn't turn it on as the silence was so therapeutic, only being disturbed by the gunshots and cries of a distant shooting party. So I worked on in silence and solitude until the sun slowly dipped behind the garden walls, a whole day spent outside in December is something to be savoured.

Norton Conyers Garden will feature on the Mark Forrest show today on radio York at approx 10.30 - 11.00am and can be caught up on BBC iplayer if missed.

"After silence that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music"
Aldous Huxley