Wah... A third of the way through the year already...

April is Gratitude Month.

I know, every month should be Gratitude Month, since PT is a very fortunate creature. But this month there seems to be a particularly long list of things to give thanks for.

For our visas, of course...


And for a great introduction to Kazakhstan.




And for a brilliant first week in the British Isles. (A special shout-out to our family there: rovers need strong anchor points, and these guys unstintingly fulfil that very important function for us. And an additional round of applause for the Birds of England, who turn every outdoor experience into a concert of virtuosi.)


And for safe travel all this long way so far.

And for the wherewithal to ride out the snows of Nur-Sultan, and the UK's Storm Hannah. (Through many tropical months, a bag of winter gear has taken up room in our rucksacks. Well, this month it has ALL been pressed into service... The over-trousers that I didn't manage to use even in Tibet last year came into their own during Storm Hannah, and there was actually something satisfying about a pre-breakfast walk through the driving wind and rain, given that I was cocooned in layers of protection and insulation.)

And for peace-makers. (The month was darkened by grim events in Sri Lanka, but I am so grateful to see Sri Lankan friends using their influence for good on social media, and striving for peace and reconciliation.)


And for being able to say that medication side-effects and osteoporosis consequences may make me do things differently, but they haven't stopped me altogether.

Not all months will feel so euphoric. May the good ones feed the springs of hope that will tide us over the leaner, harder months:

"Hope" is the thing with feathers --
That perches in the soul --
And sings the tune without the words --
And never stops -- at all...