Friday 8 January 2010

An icy flower?

The ice sculptor has been busy again - it's fascinating to go out to see what has appeared each morning after another cold night. This is the head of our pond pump/fountain.
This photo is a 'Spot the Fieldfares' game - at least that's what I think they are. There were six or seven of them feeding in this tree outside our front window but I'm not sure how many I captured here. I was surprised by how well camouflaged they are among the snowy twigs and berries.

Another pond pic - I do hope my little froggy and newty friends are surviving down there. As a rule our cold spells don't last as long as this one has, or have the same intensity. It will be interesting to see what plants have survived. The only good thing about the cold is that lots of snails and slugs won't have survived and maybe there will be fewer greenfly, etc., to plague us in the coming months.
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I know that many people are invigorated by this weather and maybe I was in my youth, but I am now entering a torpid state and have to force myself into activity to get anything done. The natural urge to hibernate is very strong!! I did clear out a cupboard yesterday and pack two boxes with stuff for the charity shop, and I can see the floor again in my workroom, not to mention the worksurface by the window. We are warned of more snow to come at the weekend plus cold winds, so I shall find nice warm jobs to do like making bread and soup. Tedious though it is at times, housework gets me warm quite fast so I could end up with a nice clean house. It would be such a pity if the road became impassable again and no-one was able to visit and admire my efforts!


10 comments:

Heather said...

I've found 5 definites and a possible 6th fieldfare in my photo.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Fieldfares are master of disguise Heather aren't they? We once met one in a park in Norway and it came and ate crumbs from round our feet - here they always seem very wild. I feel as you do about the snow - i.e. an urge to hibernate - also I am desperate for exercise but dare not walk on these slippery roads.

Maggi said...

The ice flowers are exquisite. I can see 5 definites as well. Not sure I am convinced that the slugs will have been killed off. I just think that they will have gone deeper.

Totalfeckineejit said...

n-ICE photos !

Lyn said...

I too am getting a wee bit fed up of the white stuff now. and I'm so cold!
Any way a weekend of blogging, reading, baking and cooking I think, just like you!
Love
Lyn
xxx

Dale Anne Potter said...

Hope your pipes won't burst with the frozen water in them!
The weather seems to be crazy all over the world.

Julie said...

Doesn't ice make amazing patterns? We used to see a lot of fieldfares where I used to live, how lovely to see them in your trees. Yep, I'm fed up with all this snow too. Forget I said anything about snow dyeing! ;o)

Ann Christy said...

Heather - your ice flower photographs are award winning! It looks really lovely. Shame you can't bottle it and keep it forever. At Least you have the photograph. My husband saw a fieldfare on the beach yesterday - we have a small patch of bushes and trees in the sand dunes and that's where he saw it.

Mad Aunt Bernard said...

Is this a case of the gecko on the stone wall on holiday??? I reckon they fly away before you click the shutter!! It would make a lovely jigsaw though.....lol

BT said...

When I lived in Derbyshire, I had a large variagated holly and flocks of fieldfare and redwings used to arrive one day, strip it completely of berries, then move on. We have seen a couple of fieldfare here, but no redwing. I had fun finding them in your photo. I agree, it would make a great jigsaw!

Love the ice photos too.