To learn a thing, again

Sarah Bird’s illustration of a Scarlet robin for the new book.

It’s 5pm, the nearly the end of July and the dark is settling. The winter nights draw in like an old man hunched beneath the doona. I can see my breath and my hands are icy. I have just come in from playing with Frank and there is the faintest whiff of horse on my jumper sleeves. The fine mi…