Sorry, the recipe will have to wait until the morning as I've hardly been in the house till 3 p.m. today and then it was clean up time and cook-a-meal-or-two time!
Yesterday my eldest daughter and I stole an hour away from the house and ventured out with secateurs and a large bag, to collect the greenery for the Christmas wreath. It is an annual ritual of several years' standing now, and we take it in turns to create the wreath. We're running a bit late this year, but better late than never.
The best hanging ropes of ivy were overhanging the river and we decided not to risk trying to gather them as the riverbank was under snow and we couldn't tell where the real edge was. We made do with some shorter pieces from the hedgerow and the ivy tree up by the bend. T couldn't sing as she had a sore throat, but I managed a few carols on my own - Good King Wenceslas, Away in a Manger, Once in Royal David's City . . . The cows across the valley had their hooves up to their ears, but hey-ho, I enjoyed myself!
We saw a Dipper bobbing on one of the snow-covered rocks - I would NOT like to be a Dipper in this weather! Upstream from the bridge, a frozen caul of ice stretched from one bank to the other. Not enough for a Frost Fair yet, but it shows how cold our valley has been these past few days.
The side roads (well, single track lanes really) are passable now, with care, but the stretch along by the river is just compacted snow into ice and has to be negotiated slowly.
Lovely photos, snow and ice are really beautiful aren't they? I love the photo with the fox, life must be incredibly hard for all wild creatures at the moment.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos BB, stunning scenery. Kinda looks like my neck of the woods, only we do not have any snow at the moment, which is shocking this time of year.
ReplyDeleteI wish to pass upon you and your family a most joyous Holiday season and a New Year to all.
Your photos are so beautiful, with the low sun shining on snow.
ReplyDeleteI must confess to throwing out some soaked bread or other scraps last thing at night. From footprints in the snow, I know that "our" foxes have been grateful for them. Your fox was probably trying to warm up for five minutes while the sun was shining. We have seen no sun at all today and it has been freezing.
Good to hear that you and T enjoyed your annual ritual of gathering greenery and making your Christmas wreaths.
It has to be a relief that you can get out with the car, even though very cautiously.
ReplyDeleteI would have loved to sing on the carols--especially Good King Wenceslas--I once sang the part of the page---don't know if I could sing and huff along the lane at the same time.
I hope your weather gives you a bit of a break--its sounding like a long winter.
Hope you'll share a photo of the finished wreaths.
Stunning photos, especially the one with the fox and the one with the sun through the trees.
ReplyDeleteWhat a very Christmassy day you had.
I'm glad you all enjoyed the photos - I really enjoyed taking them. Imagine me and my "page" walking cautiously on the snow and every couple of minutes I should "wait a mo" to the "page" whilst I aim my camera! It was a lovely afternoo and put me in the Christmas spirit.
ReplyDeletePhoto of wreath as soon as it's light. There's an ivy one to be put together too.