Season's Greetings

Outside the temperature has risen to just above freezing and the melting snow on my neighbours roof has slowly dripped down creating these very Christmassy icicles on the holly bush.

Inside I have holly and ivy decorating all the picture frames and at last we have the tree. Its a very tiny tree from the village shop since the weather prevented us from venturing out to the Christmas tree farm.

It was the winter solstice yesterday and I like to follow the tradition of having lots of evergreens in the house.

Now the grocery shopping is done and the house decorated we are all ready for Christmas.

Season's Greetings to everyone, have a really lovely holiday time.

Snowed in

It was bound to happen really, we have missed out on the snow so far this winter but on Saturday it snowed.

A pity that it was the day I was picking up eldest son from university. It was just starting to snow very gently as we loaded the car with blankets and thermos just in case things turned nasty. They did, at just the moment I set off. The snow fell so fast and froze on the windscreen and that together with the freezing fog soon led to the decision to turn back.

Thank goodness for trains, there were delays but they were running.

The student is home. He repacked, bringing home just the minimum. Then walk, train, tube, train, train and he was here. His brother walked down to meet him with an empty rucksack so that they could share the load on the walk up the hill from station to home.

These photographs were taken on the walk down to the station to meet him. Once I knew he was back safely I could begin to appreciate how pretty everything looked.

Starting to decorate

We won't be choosing the tree until eldest son is back from university at the weekend but the wreath is on the front door and the holly tree in the garden is covered in berries this year.

I picked this a little early before the birds could eat all the berries. They won't go hungry though, there were still plenty of berries left on the branches that I couldn't reach.

Frosty

 

We have been lucky to escape the snow here again but it is very cold and foggy and the hedges this morning were covered in ice crystals.

Very pretty,

nature's seasonal decorations.

Blue skies and sunshine

Its been so grey here lately that the  single day of sunshine we had yesterday seems to warrant a post.

The sun shone on the few remaining leaves, picking out a wide range of colours that I just don't seem to have been noticing during the grey days.

It continued to shine all day and I ventured out again, this time to walk around a still frozen lake. It was mid- afternoon and the sun was setting. The reeds and lakeside trees glowed in its light.

It was very cold but calm and still and we stayed until the sun finally disappeared.

We are back to freezing fog and greyness today but even one day of sunshine helps to dispel the winter blues.

Cold and quiet

From the television news I learn that nearly the whole of Britain from Cornwall to the Northern Isles is covered in a blanket of snow. Here in the south we have the frosts and the cold temperatures but no snow.

Monday was very calm, not even the slightest breeze and the winter trees were perfectly reflected in the mirror like river Thames. So still and quiet it seemed as if the earth was sleeping through the winter day.

It has been quiet on this blog recently as well. Life is busy with many things occupying my mind and I don't seem to find the words for a blog post. Like the river I need time to be still and reflective.

My camera is always with me though, and so for a while there may be more pictures than words in this space.

Hope everybody is keeping safe and warm.