genialgemsandothergabblings

With the ground being so hard after the recent snow and ice I threw down some of the apples I had been storing from our tree since October. That was yesterday and today the fieldfare flew in and spent the day gorging himself on the them. We just about managed a few shots, as he was very shy and the magpies kept bothering him, trying to get to the fruit as well. I wonder is it the same one who came at this time last year? Jack Frost came too and left us a beautiful vision in ice painting on the gate . I well remember scenes like that from my childhood but then it was on the inside of our bedroom windows at Corton! It is a very good time for birdwatching , today I saw Goldfinches as well. Most of our snow has gone but we may not be out of the woods yet as another weather front of snow and low temperatures is on the way.

Quite unexpectedly we were in for yet more snow last night from 9pm onwards. The world took on a different hue and colour and the whiteness made the garden an illuminated magical christmastime winterwonderland. If it doesn't rain today we may have a White Christmas here after all. The cats are not at all sure what to make of it  with Tom being the only one to walk or should I say sink ' down the garden in it. It made a very pretty picture though with him in the snow. It was nice to see the Mistle Thrush in the garden after the orange berries on the tree , a rare visitor to my garden. Well the big day is nearly here,I wish One and All the Healthiest New Year and a very Merry Christmas to all my Family Around the World and Friends everywhere.

We had snow!  Two nights in a row and it is still lying on the ground .... this is the first time in many years that we have had such a fall. As you can see the garden looked lovely, a real winter wonderland. What a shame that the only ones of us that can enjoy it are those who either play out in it or look at it from a warm home. It has caused chaos! Bebe made his way up for his food but then quickly disappeared back to the greenhouse and bed .I daresay it will all be gone by Christmas Day. Still it was nice to get out with the camera and get some snowy shots.

Well I have put up the decorations today so this house is now ready for the festive season to get into fullswing. We don't go mad with all the trimmings these days as there are no children around but what we do  have look nice and festive in an arts and crafts kind of way.....  I like finding ornaments like the little brown angels seen here in the picture. Yesterday and today I made sure to get out for some fresh air and winter sunshine as it has been so lovely to see after all the recent wet weather. A good walk yesterday and today out came the bike. We are going to go to Haworth this weekend to the Christmas celebrations and I might go around the Bronte Parsonage as it is ages and I just love the atmosphere! I must go and give the Christmas cake a good glug of brandy again  and will have to get in the ingredients for some mince pies but there is not much Delia Smith stuff going on here ,,, who the heck has time for all that these days! Lastly I j...

Its beginning to' smell a lot like Christmas' at our house, for as soon as you walk in your senses are awoken by the fragrant scents of cinnamon , cloves and orange and everyone wants to know where that delicious smell is coming from ! Well actually although I would like to say I have been busy baking,it is actually from a lovely bottle of room spray. It does the most wonderful job of making the feel of the Chistmas season come alive . Add to that a few drops of Culpepper winter oil ,pot purri and that is all you need. When you come home in the evening though feeling a little cold, tired and frazzled, try some of the delicious Mulled wine, warmed up ,its good for you as its full of lovely spices , just the thing to sip in front of the fire!The one seen here is the real thing from Germany and the one served at the winter fairs. I don't  think we will see a White Christmas this year ,they forecast a wet one instead... although you never know. Th...

Well we probably had our last long day out on the boat yesterday as the days are drawing in and as you can see from the photos it was sunset by the time we returned to the marina. The day was so calm and quiet, a case of 'the calm before the storm', as today its been blowing a gale and raining all day. On the way up to Garstang ,our destination, Peter spotted a flash of blue and we were on the lookout in the same place on the return and I spotted the kingfisher in the reeds waiting for a fish and quickly managed a couple of shots If you know where to look they are not that hard to find! I found some other people intent on taking the other kind of shots... poor pheasants probably were their target. We had spotted a few ourselves in the fields on the way and we take pleasure in just seeing them ! So its been a lovely year again out on the canal, full of interest and surprises and we still hope to use the boat through the winter on milder days.

We went out for lunch yesterday to Rufford Old hall and had a really delicious Lancashire hot pot ,followed by apple crumble, a winning combination if ever there was one. Then in an effort to perhaps wear off a few of those calories,we walked through the lovely grounds to see the autumn colours on the the plants and trees. Then we went off for an hour to Martin Mere to see the pink foot geese that have flown in ,in their thousands for the winter. it is an amazing sight and sound with them all calling as they suddenly take to the skies. While we were there we saw the beaver cub that was injured by his parents or siblings last year and has been nursed back to health by the staff there. He likes to come out in the afternoons for exercise and a play. He is so big and this took me by surprise but a very endearing creature he is and doesn't seem to to mind all the attention. He will not be able to rejoin the others, so they have to decide what next for WIZZIE! The garden is smothered in ...