WHEN we bought our country cottage and its bit of land, many years ago now, even the most creative of estate agents would have found it hard to find flattering words to describe it. “With potential” might have been the best they could manage.

THE latest news from the bird table is that the goldfinches are back. In accordance with the latest theories, I kept on feeding the birds all through the summer.

‘God in His wisdom

I HAVE a friend who’s keen on duck shooting.

I was sitting in my car waiting to collect my son and, as often happens, he was late. The car was parked beside a mature rowan tree drooping with scarlet berries and suddenly it was invaded by a flock of noisy, squabbling birds.

I HAVE just finished reading an interesting book. It’s called Corvus — A Life With Birds, by Esther Woolfson. It’s about the tame birds that have lived in her house for most of her life.

IN general I’m not nervous of insects and I’m usually the person designated to remove the spiders from the bath.

ONE night, many summers ago, my children went through one of those rites of passage that I think happen to most children. They were going to spend their first night camping out alone — two brothers aged seven and eight.

FOR centuries, many of the owners of estates and large gardens in this country were compulsive and competitive collectors of exotic trees. Many of these collections still survive. I have a passionate interest in trees and for somebody like me, visiting one of these collections for the first time is an exciting event.

THE other day I visited Oak Park Forest Park by Carlow town for the first time and was very impressed.