Wednesday 14 January 2015

Keeping Fit - or trying to!

Use it or lose it, they say, and how true.  I managed to get out between belts of first snow, then rain for a walk up the hill behind the house yesterday.  I like to try and keep active, and am more motivated now as I am going up to Sheffield to stay with my eldest daughter and we are having a day out in Lincoln - and the Cathedral (which we plan to visit) is at the top of a very steep hill!


We had a short flurry of very wet snow at breakfast time - big blobs of snow the size of 2 bob bits.  It didn't lay really, as it was so wet on the ground, but it was noticably colder outside and the birds were very grateful for their breakfasts.


The nut feeder and two seed feeders front of house feed the Sparrows who live behind our barge-boards, and sundry other small birds - Blue and Great Tits, Chaffinches, and a Robin.  Not to mention no end of blardy Jackdaws, one of whom lands on the biggest seed feeder and rocks it whilst pecking frantically so lots of seed falls for the birds beneath it.  I have had to take down the feeders for the fat balls because they were just demolishing the fat.  I now hang those from graceful branches in the hedgerow which won't support a Jackdaw.  In the Damson tree in the yard, I have more fat balls and a larger nut feeder, and I have umpteen Blue, Great, and Coal Tits visiting it, more Chaffinches, Nuthatches and a Greater Spotted Woodpecker.  Another GSW also visits the one in the front.  I have a third feeding station (just seed) in the Buddleia by the front gate.  They are all very busy this time of year.


A not very good photo of the Woodpecker on the Damson tree feeder.


This is the little stream which crosses our paddock, as it pours out of the culvert near the lane edge.


Although I stopped by our field gate to look back at the house, I then made it right up the hill without stopping, even though I did walk a little slower and not push myself too hard.  I was hoping for some distant snowy pictures, but there was low cloud.  Here is the pond in the top field and some vaguely whitened fields the other side of the valley.


A big old oak gatepost sports a crew cut of emerald moss.


A pathetic smattering of snow remained. . .


A bit of dead bracken across the valley, and the lane leading up to Llanfynydd village.


Slight snowy highleights the other side of the Towy valley.  You can just make out Dryslwyn Castle centre picture.


A little bit of colour in the landscape.


A last wintery glimpse . . .

Then I came home and practiced Prayanamic breathing (good for asthmatics), Meditation, and then Chair Yoga.  I was horrified at how stiff I have become since not having the horses, so that has got to change!  No wonder I was so stiff after a bit of gardening recently.

Anyway, another poem (Robert Frost this time) over on Dust on the Nettles.  Enjoy.

12 comments:

  1. Such beautiful photos of the beautiful place you live in!

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  2. Hello there. It's not too bad round here, but a wee bit sagey-grey right now! Winter colours. I try never to take it for granted as it is beautiful.

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  3. Nice that you could get out and enjoy a bit of winter landscape, I hope the storms last night were kind to you

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  4. Glad all the birds live with you in Wales, and also on Dartmoor with Em ;). I have my few stalwarts in Essex, but like you the fat balls gets demolished by starlings in a day.

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  5. Lovely set of images, winter can be so beautiful as you have just proved. Glad to hear you are getting out for walks now as your health improves...I love a brisk walk. Like you I find myself stiffening up much more quickly than before.

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  6. We survived the storms Dawn, thank you, and hope you had no damage either. Trees down here and there and the river's been over the bottom lane, but only damage due to loss of sleep - staying awake until middle daughter got safely home from London.

    Thelma - hundreds of birds around here - when the weather really gets cold we have dozens of each local species which include the ones passing through or overwintering here. The fat balls last a tiny bit longer now I have them in the hedgerow.

    Suzie - the beautiful bits are there, but light levels poor for photography. I loved the jade green of the litchen/mossy bits on the branches and fence posts.

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  7. This is a horrible time of year to get motivated about exercise. Congratulations on getting out at all! Jx

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  8. Wonderful scenes to soothe the troubled mind; I needed this tonight after bad news about my health insurance. Thanks so much for the beautiful pictures, BB. I hope your strength allows you to see that cathedral in its glory. Happy New Year and May 2k15 bring a buyer to you.

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  9. I thought of you in the storms, my friend in Clunderwen had some damage. I know what you mean about stiffening. I do pilates and yoga, but when I've been sitting down too long, I feel like an old lady when I get up LOL

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  10. That pixie cup lichen all over the gate post set my heart a pumping! I've been trying to lose weight over the last month. It's so hard at our age isn't it?I walk for MILES every day. I've cut out cake completely and am making a huge effort not to have hypos that mean eating sweet things. I've lost four pounds....better than nothing and it's nine pounds I need to lose. I've never dieted in my life before! Keep walking!!! x

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  11. The photo of the Emerald Moss is so lovely.
    I so love moss and lichen but I live in a desert, go figure.

    cheers, parsnip

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  12. parsnip - if you love moss, then desert living must be very frustrating for you!

    E - Isn't it pretty? Oh dear, weight loss ain't easy once you get past the age of consent! I have cut out all alcohol bar the monthly bottle of vino. With the alcohol go the crisps, so that's two fattening things in one fell swoop. Hard to sidestep main meals, and I have just had pudding for breakfast (home made fruit/apple based sponge pud) as it was something I could have HOT (and it is darned cold here as the central heating boiler went belly up yesterday).

    Kath - I think Clunderwen are higher up than us. I was amazed to find my polytunnel still there the next morning. I found a good book on Pilates in one of the charity shops yesterday, so intend getting started today.

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