You may recall, dear reader, that when we moved to Burnbank a little over a year ago, our new home was in one corner of a larger plot, with planning permission granted for three further houses. Here's a photograph from back then, showing our nascent rear garden (the mown bit) with the plots, actually an unimproved meadow, behind and to the side of it. Knowing what was to come, we decided to enjoy this meadow vicariously whist we could, watching how the vegetation glowed as the light changed, or being mesmerised by the fluffy heads of the cottongrass. We were especially pleased with what this habitat helped to bring into our garden, most gloriously all those wonderful visits by Brown Hares. However, it wasn't going to last and, indeed, it hasn't. Recently, work has commenced on the first two plots, the one behind us and one to the north. The precious turf of fine grasses and wildflowers was scraped back into various heaps, hard-standings were laid, foundations dug, and the