Blackbird singing in the dead of night, Take these broken wings and learn to fly *

Frequent telephone calls to Dad and Jane and Ian over the last 48 hours. The most recent to Ian last night. Mum was well enough for Ian to spend an hour with her. They have removed the oxygen mask and some of the tubes. He felt her toes and they were nice and warm :-)

On a lighter note I saw one of nature cliches this week. Mrs Blackbird on the grass pulling a worm out of the ground. A classic image but I have never *actually* seen it with my own eyes before. It was just as it should be: long thin worm at 45 degrees from ground to beak with the little fat end flopping out the other side of the beak.

* Blackbird by the Beatles