Yikes!

I've been sweeping leaves for weeks, it's a job that I like. The trees are fairly bare-branched now, just a few leaves hanging on the walnut and apple trees.

I cart large piles of leaves to the compost heap where they quickly bed down into a manageable heap. It's satisfying to know that it will slowly transform into fine compost. Some of the windfalls are put on the pile and others are raked to one side of the garden and left for the birds to eat.

Across the road from us some of the stables have been dismantled prior to the erection of a couple of houses. Long-term occupants of the stabling have had to start looking for new lodgings. Yikes - they've found my compost heap, everything that they love, warmth and windfalls.  

RATTUS! And you know how quickly the damn things breed! We weren't going to shop on Black Friday, but then it seemed an appropriately named day, so we went out and bought traps and poison and peanut butter!

Friday skywatch in Yorkshire

 

It's always good to open the bedroom curtains and see the promise of a fine day ahead. At our home in Yorkshire the sun rises at the opposite side of the dale and takes its time climbing up over the hillside. The hills are often cast in deep shadow with dramatic skies above.

Rainbows are another regular feature

changing the landscape

minute by minute.

This one was a complete arc.

Here's the other end!

We had one day of snow, everything rendered monochrome,

but still beautiful.

Joining Friday Skywatch to see skies from all around the world.

What a difference a day makes!

We had a small bonfire of garden waste at home before leaving for Yorkshire, knowing that when we  got up north a great heap of debris was waiting to be burnt, hopefully on the village bonfire.
Some hope! Basher Brown came and took a look at our offering in the back garth, preparing to move a few branches for us. When he saw how much there was he said, "Have your own ....... bonfire!"

There were still a lot of leaves to fall.

But, after a exciting village bonfire night, when a cold north wind created a roaring fire , giving us very warm fronts and very cold backs, we woke to the sight of falling snow. 

Same view, different day!

The trees looked lovely seen from our bedroom window.

But we had yet to light our own bonfire!

(Neither was it good weather for hanging washing on the line.)

Time to go out for a walk and look at the village in the snow.

Following the beck up to the small waterfall.

You can see how soft the snow was 

and how low the light level.

By the following day much of the snow had gone.