Now that the cold has come down I have taken to filling up the bird feeders. There is an awkward two weeks or so between me doing this, the birds feasting on what is in there, and the squirrals taking over and taking on a free meal. We are still in the pre-squirral run and all day there has been a steady procession of tits, with the occasional interruption from a nuthatch, taking their fill.

Then this afternoon there was a walk down through West Kirby past the old war memorial. I have memories of being up there thirty years or so ago in November and the place being filled with men  and women playing their trumpets. There was no-one up there today in the wind and the hail but it was still a quiet place up from the road and with a view taking in the empty sweep of the the sea and the hint of snow in the distance.

In the cold there was not much better than a chicken curry to eat.

I had one a week or so ago that was a disaster – too many squashed onions and curdled yogurt – everyone was very polite about it. This evening’s curry was better:-

– two or three finely sliced onions cooked in oil with some garlic and ginger.

– a mixture of spice. This time ground coriander, cumin, turmeric and cloves. These were mixed to a paste with some oil and as the onions started to wilt stirred in.

– the chicken pieces were added and allowed to brown a bit at the edges.

– as it did that a couple of tins of coconut milk was stirred in together with a scrape of lemon rind and bay leaves.

– on a very low heat it was ready an hour later to be eaten with good rice.