Exmouth auctioneer Piers Motley-Nash writes for the Journal.

Exmouth Journal: Piers Motley-NashPiers Motley-Nash (Image: Piers Motley-Nash)

What a stunning weekend we've just had. With some good news about lockdowns slowly easing and hope for some degree of normality later in the year, the lengthening days and bright weather have helped many of us.

It's not everything. I've been a bit down this week with incessant work and those little things which might have been a treat, like seeing a mate in a pub, still a distant dream. Booking a holiday as well is not something we've really started thinking about, there just doesn't seem much point until it's certain and even then will it be the same as before all this started?

I know I'm one of the lucky ones with work little changed and lots of variety, but it still seems like there is no end to this even with the 'good' news.

Spring is here and all it brings, new life and colour as our gardens start to blossom and the deciduous trees start to leaf. I've always loved nature and last week took delivery of six new bird huts. There were already three in the garden and four of five places we feed the birds.

Last weekend I noticed a few birds checking out the bird huts, so something is already on their minds. Now with nine huts up I'm hoping for more birds in the garden than ever before and while I can't spend my hours of working on a holiday the £50 I spent on bird huts will give me hours of pleasure and I suppose the feeders shall need more seed as well.

I've already decided on my evening's entertainment.... more boxes. Living above the old railway embankment in Budleigh we get quite a few bats in the garden, so tonight I'm looking for bat boxes to put up in the trees which shall keep me busy next weekend along with a planned first mow of the season.

Keeping busy is my way of coping with mental health and a love of walking around our home area has kept us all sane...sort of.