Pamukkale

I've just come back from week in Turkey. I've been there many times, but this time I managed to visit Pamukkale, a place I've always wanted to see. The name means 'Cotton Castle', and the natural terraces are formed from a sedimentary rock called travertine, which is deposited by the hot springs there. The ancient city of Hierapolis was situated here, and there's a big amphitheatre nearby.

Duckling time!

It's that time of year... lots of tiny webbed feet dashing about, carrying fluffy little bodies. This was taken at the Wetland Centre, in Arundel, last weekend. It was a lovely sunny day, too.

The Tree Devil

The Tree Devil, my next children's book, is due to be published at the end of April. It features a genetically-engineered monster which can blend into the background, much the same way that an octopus can. It has been created by Dixon Fisher, an unstable scientist, who believes that man should be eradicated for the good of the planet. Tree devils are dedicated predators, and they'll only eat human beings. Can Rick and his friend Jack find out what's really going on, and put a stop to it before it's too late? You can buy order this book from your local bookshop, or buy it online from Amazon.

For Zosia

Hello Zosia - Thanks for your post. I suspect you haven't looked at my reply, so I'm hoping this will reach you. You were interested in my father - Feliks Krzewinski. He had a sister, Elizabeth, who lived in Lower Hutt, New Zealand, after the Second World War. I've posted one photo of my father from before the war, one from the 1950s, and one from the 1970s. If you are a relative, or knew my aunt, I would love to hear from you. Please email me through the contact page.

Butterflies

There's nothing quite like a few butterflies to brighten up the day in the middle of this grey wet weather. There have been some exotic ones in the glasshouse at the RHS gardens in Wisley - I've posted two blue morphos here. The other two were taken a couple of years ago, and they're British; the comma, and the peacock.

England's Big Freeze

Yes, we have snow here....

Happy Christmas/solstice/new year, everyone.