First daffodils, New Zealand Earthquake, 'Seven Basic Plots' by Christopher Booker

I saw the first daffodils in flower yesterday when I went down to the village. The first of the daffodils here on the farm should be open by the end of the week I think. This is going to be a much earlier spring than last year, everything seems to be well forward. The snowdrops are in a greater profusion than last spring and we did not have daffies out for St. David's Day which we certainly will this year. In the gardens there are several primroses in flower already and the seemingly lifeless twigs of various shrubs are showing signs of buds and tiny green leaf tips are apearing.

After the horrific news from New Zealand this morning of a big eathquake again hitting Christchurch we are very concerned for family members and friends out there. One elderly relative lives only a couple of miles from the cathedral which has collapsed and we are just waiting to hear any news of that part of the city.

The Farmer & I are off to our county town today, for the first time in months. The Farmer has to pay a visit to the DEFRA offices to deal with yet more of the paperwork mountain that we have to ascend , never reaching the top! I will take the opportunity to visit a bookshop (even it is only one of the awful chain-store ones!). Amazon is great but every now & then it is nice to handle books and look through them before purchasing.
I am reading a fascinating tome at the moment, 'The Seven Basic Plots' by Christopher Booker. It is an analysis of why there seems to be only a small number of basic plots that are found throughout the world. These seven plots can be found in ancient myths & legends, fairy tales, plays, novels, soap operas & movies.
The recurring themes are the essence of storytelling and therefore applicable to all cultures and lives. The themes are The Quest, Rags to Riches, Overcoming the Monster, Voyage & Return, Comedy, Tragedy  and lastly Rebirth. It is a long read but so interesting. I recommend it hugely