Mouse & Muse Blog

by Trevor Millum

An occasional series which I hope is of interest to friends and family.  Feedback always welcome.

Ten Down, Twenty to Go

Ten Down, Twenty to Go

Nice to get a mention in the Lincs Wildlife mag 'Lapwings'.  On the facing page there's a feature on Fiona, who is walking the 147 miles of the Viking Way so my challenge seems very relaxed in comparison.  Being a third of the way through does feel like a bit of a...

My 30 poem challenge for wildlife

My 30 poem challenge for wildlife

The Wildlife Trusts are calling for at least 30% of our land and sea to be connected and protected for nature’s recovery by 2030. Making more space for nature to become abundant once again will give our struggling wildlife the chance to recover and also restore...

2020 (Pro)Vision

2020 (Pro)Vision

Spending more time at home? Of course. Occupying yourself usefully? Well, sometimes. Providing for chutney shortages? Chilli jelly emergencies?  Or simply using those lovely rose petals from last spring. Definitely. Green tomatoes are an obvious candidate for chutney...

The Poetry Guide

The Poetry Guide

In this slim volume is the lifetime's experience and wisdom of Bernard and myself distilled from three decades of blood, sweat and fun in classrooms, school halls and libraries. The underlying message is that poetry is not there to be studied and dissected but to be...

Two concerts and a sculpture garden

Two concerts and a sculpture garden

The first live concert for months! Snake Davis, virtuoso sax and flute player, with Helen Watson, superb vocalist. Not the Ropewalk this time but an unusual venue: the land behind Wootton village hall. Heavy rain held off until the last couple of numbers were due. The...

How far to Forfar?

How far to Forfar?

Quite far, is the answer. But worth the journey. The Three Witches take pride of place - they, along with six other sculptures on a Macbeth theme, are to be found in the woods next to Glamis Castle. Not merely woods but a Pinetum with, we are told, the tallest trees...

Together Behind Four Walls

Together Behind Four Walls

I'm contributing a poem for inclusion in this anthology about you-know-what. It's a parody of (or rather, a tribute to) Edward Thomas's 'Adlestrop'. You can find out more here. Meanwhile, here's a little tribute to John Masefield's 'Sea Fever': I must go down to the...

Break Out!

Break Out!

The garden has been our refuge and solace over the past weeks / months. But on Wednesday we finally broke out of our cocoon and, like butterflies, migrated to Harlow Carr, where we landed safely. And, not quite by coincidence, there were our friends Pete and Beena....

April Flowers

April Flowers

Spring is no respecter of human problems. Here come blooms and blossoms by the branch and stem-load. The cherry in the front is laden and the crab apple trees aren't far behind. Even the bay tree has lots of yellow flowers that I never noticed before. Tulips have...

Happy Birthday John Harrison

Happy Birthday John Harrison

After three years of planning and fund-raising, our John has finally taken his place in Barrow. It’s been a long story with many little setbacks but here he is at last. The installation was feat of engineering in itself. First the two and a half ton stone plinth had...

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