Snow

This morning we woke to a light covering of snow and I wandered round the garden to take a look at the transformation that it brings.

Shrubs, flower heads and bushes were all capped in white.

The frames that support the herbaceous summer plants look skeletal in the borders. Just a few leaves of snowdrops and daffodils peeping through.

All quiet by the lake.

Duck prints all along the path!

When the sun came out we had our usual daily walk up the road. The snow was already thinning. Footprints told us that a few dog walkers had been out before us. There were also rabbit prints, a bit of excitement for the dogs!

It was lovely.

We had a takeaway for lunch, a traditional Sunday roast beef  with Yorkshire pud from the local pub.

Delicious - just the thing after a walk in the snow!

Clogs

 When we are just slipping out of the house briefly, down the path to collect the post or to the wood store for some more logs, we step out of our indoor clogs and into battered old gardening ones. We keep pairs beside all the exterior doors. The weather is poor and yesterday when we opened the kitchen door we found this bluetit taking a rest from the wind and rain inside an extremely scruffy clog belonging to Himself. We thought that it would fly away immediately but it stayed for sufficiently long for me to be concerned that it was damaged. The kitchen door has a canopy so it is a dry place to be and the little bird stayed there for quite a while as we moved past it in and out of the house. I was just starting to think that I should pick it up and check it over when it flew away.

I wore clogs as a child when playing in the garden and so did our daughters. We bought these little red ones while visiting friends in Denmark when our daughter was three. She is now forty-nine!

She loved them and staggered about in determined fashion for a while until she had mastered them, running and playing about outside. Her little sister then took them over and next in line is little sister's son.

We have had the soles replaced ready for action should he still be small enough to wear them once the virus is under control and we can enjoy family life again.

My gardening clogs by the front door, at the ready.

Goodbye to 2020

 This has been an unhappy year, one that I hope we shall never repeat. The day started crisp and clear with a clear blue sky and a light covering of frost.

I had a walk around the garden

and then to the lake to see if the water had frozen over.

Sun was already melting the frosted ground.

It was a quiet, reflective day, with no preparations for dancing and partying as on previous New Year's Eves. A full moon in the sky this evening seen through the window mixed in with our Christmas lights.

Dear friends and fellow bloggers I wish you all good health and happier times ahead.

A walk

Boxing Day is usually when people leave their homes, the remains of their turkey, their sofas, t.v. and chocolates to get a breath of fresh air.  But not this year. We are not in an area of severest lock-down but I didn't put so much as my nose out of doors because the weather was so grim. Himself brought in a good supply of wood from the store and we lolled about in the warmth of the wood burner crunching on chocolate almonds.  Storm Bella rattled round the house throughout the night but then, hurray, we woke to frost and sunshine. Walking boots on, we would stretch our legs and go on the road to the next village.

The field paths looked inviting but, knowing how much rain had fallen,  we were not tempted and stuck to the road. Cyclists passed us, all with cheery greetings; they have relished the quiet roads that this pandemic has caused. The farrier came by on horseback with his family and stopped to chat. He was riding the horse that had foaled in the summer, all happening quickly before the vet could attend. He and his wife told us again about it, such a dramatic and moving experience for them, while their little son waited patiently on his pony.

 

It was good to be out. Even on the road we had to pick our way carefully every now and then.

Then it was back to the sofa and the chocolates!

Christmas Greetings

 

We are ready to celebrate an unusually quiet Christmas. New Covid restrictions mean that family members are keeping to their own homes, spread around different parts of the country. We shall join together digitally, but for once the house will not be awash with wrapping paper and there will be some semblance of order in the kitchen. We are a family who enjoy tradition, so there is no doubt about it, it is going to be strange. At six this evening we shall stand outside, as the other villagers intend to do, and ring bells to demonstrate our solidarity in dealing with this rampaging virus.

I've finished decorating the windows but when I stood on the kitchen steps to hang up the lantern and angel mobile I saw how mucky the white muslin shears had become. What a slattern!

 Down they came for a thorough wash. No chance to hang them on the line in constant rain. They were draped over the kitchen creel overnight.

Ah, that's better - and a bit of sunshine!

The table is ready for several days of feasting.

            WISHING YOU ALL, DEAR BLOGGERS,

    A PEACEFUL CHRISTMAS AND A HEALTHY 2021.

Cause for concern?

There is a fireplace in our grandson's bedroom (along with a whole lot of toys!) 

There is never a fire in the grate so no-one is in danger of catching fire.  But it's quite a dainty fireplace, and that's the problem. Isn't Father Christmas rather large?

Do you think he will be able to fit down the chimney?

Getting ready

 

We are getting ready for a small, quiet Christmas. I've put lights up in various windows around the house and they are a welcome brightness because the days are dark and gloomy.  We are experiencing so much heavy rain that a spring appears to have sprung up in our drive! Himself is interested to explore but I just say that we should just walk carefully round it, that when the water table lowers we should get our drive back. We'll see!

We gathered pine branches and berries during a brief spell of sunshine. The sap from the cones is sticky but smells wonderful. We have several clumps of mistletoe growing on our apple trees but only leaves this year and no white berries. It's dark enough in this dull weather to have the fairy lights on all day.

I hope that, like my bear, you are well wrapped up and getting ready to celebrate, even if it is not going to be the usual rumbustious family gathering.