Smoulder (v): To burn slowly or with a low intensity and little flame.

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So, how was last year? 52 weeks ago I wrote a New Year’s Aspirations post setting out some things I would like to do in 2011. How did I get on?

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Treasure (n): Something valuable or precious that has been set aside or hoarded, and even hidden or buried.

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Aperture (n): An opening, especially one that admits light. Particularly associated with photography.

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Golem (n): A word from Jewish folklore meaning an inanimate figure brought to life by magic.

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Flidias (proper noun): Irish goddess of woodlands and forests.

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Sharada (n): A Sanskrit word meaning ‘autumnal’, a name for the Hindu and Buddhist goddess Saraswati.

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Crown (n): The summit of a hill, or its ultimate feature.

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Deviation (n): Departing from a standard, differing from what is expected.

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The best weather of the year so far – and can we go swimming? Not in either of the local lidos, which closed in mid-September. As did most of the others around the country.

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Last night, there was a large-scale solar storm, bringing the promise of possible aurora sightings further south than is usually even imaginable. It is one of my lifetime ambitions to see the Northern Lights – but, as someone who lives not much more than 50 degrees north, I have to accept that I’m highly unlikely to fulfil it on my own doorstep.

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Skein (n): A collective noun for geese in flight.

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Phragmites (n): A botanical classification for reeds, a type of water-loving perennial grass.

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Contradictory (adj): Inconsistent; containing several elements which cannot all be true; contrary.

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Sylvan (adj): Pertaining to trees or woods; a wooded area.

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Rowan (proper noun): A small deciduous tree, also known as the mountain ash, well known for its bright red orange berries and supposed magical properties.

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Leisure (n): Free or unoccupied time; time used for relaxation or enjoyment.

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Orchid (n): A group of plants prized for their complex and often elaborate flowers. While some are rare hothouse plants, many grow wild in the UK.

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Public footpath (n): In the UK, a route along which pedestrians (but not cyclists, horse-riders or drivers of powered vehicles) are legally entitled to go.

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Gongoozle (v): To observe canal life, especially the operation of locks, from the bank in a leisurely fashion. A gongoozler is a person engaging in this activity.

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