Winter Snow and a Bear

Last night we had about four inches of snow fall here and the trees and their branches laden with snow looked magical with the light from the house shining on them. This morning, the snow is all melting but there is still enough around the garden to show you some photos taken about 30 minutes or so ago..

Here is a very special Bear who is showing us her remarkable recovery from her stroke a couple of weekends ago... She has been enjoying regular sessions of Reflexology, Reiki and gentle Massage as well as taking a special blend of minerals and vitamins prescribed by her vet.

Typical Labrador pose, sniffing the ground as she is walking along. Wonder if there's anything to eat around here?

What? Did you say something to me....? She's getting a little deaf although I do wonder if it is selective deafness as she always seems to know when food is ready or when it's time for a walk. Surprise, surprise...

Everynow and then, she lurches as the 'boat moves' and so you can see here that the effects of the stroke are still lingering. She has improved remarkably and I am so happy about it. The best thing is that she is happy once again!

But of course, it's tiring being a Super Model...

When do I get my reward for this modelling?

Thanks once again to everyone for all your kind, caring posts and emails.

A new month.... already!

Gosh, it has been such a busy week and suddenly I find that January has slipped out the door and February has arrived. I hope that you have all had a good start to your year.

The UK is apparently experiencing its coldest winter for 13 years and we are 'braced' for a heavy snow storm tomorrow afternoon. Here, where I live, we are have a mix of pale blue skies with patches of sunshine, leaden gray clouds - and tiny snowflakes floating in the air. Quite a mix and really rather enchanting!

I have been watching for the Bullfinch family that normally raids the newly formed buds on our old Greengage trees about mid January. They are a little later than normal due to the cold weather. But this morning, I caught sight of some of them and raced for the camera to try to get a couple of images for you to see. Not the best circumstances as they were taken from inside the house and the distance was at the limits for the camera lens. But still they are magical birds and I hope you enjoy what you can see of them...



The photo above is of one the males and here below is another male in the group... (and an apology for the image being out of focus LOL!)



The female Bullfinch does not have that amazing pinky-red breast but to me, her plumage is so subtly beautiful and at least as attractive as the male plumage...



I have been watching this group since we came to this house and to their territory - there are about 9 family members now although the number ebbs and wanes throughout the seasons and years. I am hoping for a bumper 'crop' of young this year so please keep your fingers crossed for them. Bullfinches are a rare sight now, being shy and retiring birds, so we are very fortunate indeed to have this family living with us here.

Snowdrops - signs of life in the garden...

I have found a patch of snowdrops in my 'wild' garden area (or should I say, one of my wild garden areas!!!) and it's so good to see a sign of life at this time of year. But sadly, it appears that my darling little hens have decimated the other patches of snowdrops I planted a few years ago. Either that, or they have rearranged the soil levels so much that the poor snowdrops have extra work to do to reach the sunlight.



Elsewhere in the garden I am beginning to see Daffodil shoots emerging from hibernation. It will be a treat to see their sunny yellow flowers after these long, long winter days. I don't know what the weather is like where you live, but here it has been either heavy frost or snow with alternate days of deluging rain. The ground is either rock hard or a quagmire. It's that time of the year when I struggle with the English weather! I long for summer and the welcome return of warm evenings when we can sit outside and enjoy a barbeque with friends... a time of year when I love the English weather. In Australia, sunset arrives early and the sun drops down like a stone into the sea - it's over so quickly and there are none of these gloriously long evenings to savour.

And I'm starting to keep my eye out for fresh nettle shoots as I have been given a lovely Nettle Soup recipe by my friend Sarah. I'm keen to try it - the gardener's revenge on the stinging nettle!

Here's the recipe in case your nettles start to grow before mine do...

Nettle Soup - serves 6.

• 1/2 carrier bag nettle tops/young leaves
• 55g butter
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, crushed
• 1 litre chicken/vegetable stock
• pinch ground nutmeg
• 3 tablespoons cooked rice
• 2 tablespoons cream or creme fraiche
• salt and pepper

Method:

1. Pick over nettles, wash thoroughly. Discard any tough stalks


2. Melt butter, sweat onions, carrot, celery and garlic until soft but not brown


3. Add stock and pile in the nettles. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 - 10 minutes until tender.


4. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.


5. Puree the soup in a liquidiser with the cooked rice.


6. Return to a clean pan, stir in cream/creme fraiche and reheat but do not boil.

Enjoy!

My marmalade venture was good fun - here's the finished result from batch 1 - batch 2 starts this weekend.

It's a lovely, clear marmalade with lots of delicious peel suspended in it. This recipe is one where the quantities can be changed to suit you - it is just 1 part oranges, 2 parts sugar and 3 parts water. Just make sure that you stick to either Imperial or Metric measurements, keep the proportions and all will be well.

Lazy Day...

My husband started his new Danish for Beginners course last night and I was also at college, submitting to my first practical exam for my Facial Therapy course... he enjoyed the first night, meeting new people and finding out why they are interested in studying Danish... he's interested because we have friends over there, have visited quite a few times and have done a bit of sailing in Danish waters. We love it, love the people, the beautiful countryside and coastal areas, the wonderful seafood, the fishing, clear waters...
I managed to get through the exam and was pleased with the result.
But perhaps with the excitement and a late meal at about 10 pm when we returned home, neither of us slept well. So today has been a rather haphazard sort of day.
But the wood fire is lit now and when I was outside just a moment ago, getting the hens back into their run, I could smell the wood smoke and see it curling up from the chimney - time for tea and a slice of home made fruit cake! I'm looking forward to a night in front of the fire, curled up on the sofa and reading a good book.

Hens

And here they are, legging it...

Freedom!!!!

Hens

Our 10 rescue ex-batts are insatiably curious and always eager to get to the other side of the fence where the grass is always greener and far more tasty than in their pen. Here they are, eager for me to let them out so that they can go exploring...

Frost in the morning

It's quite beautiful outside today and I love the hoar frost on the trees - a shame that there is no sun to highlight it but it hardly matters when the world is fringed white and silent.