Sunday 3 January 2010

Wintry Patterns.

Since New Year's Day we have had glorious sunshine, no more snow but very low temperatures and hard frosts lasting all day. It sounds as if these conditions will last through the week to come.
These two photos are of the strong morning sunlight shining through the voile curtains and frosted glass of the bathroom window. I rather like the patterns it made.

How about this for ice sculpture? The leaves of this variegated grass which grows in our pond look as if they are encased in glass. We usually turn the pump/fountain off at night but have been leaving it on to prevent it freezing up.

The stones edging the pond are also icebound or I might have managed to get a better shot from a different angle.

I do love these frosted leaves. They look so dismal when they are just dead, wet leaves lying on the grass, but a touch of frost gives them quite a different character.
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The birds are out in force, ignoring all health warnings about high cholesterol levels. They are obviously very grateful for everything that is provided for them. I think the prolonged cold days and nights are having an effect, as I haven't seen them so fluffed up for a long time. Some of them look quite misshapen.
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Hope you are all keeping warm and not too inconvenienced by the cold weather. One compensation of being old is that people expect you to hibernate, so I can get away with drinking too many cups of tea and staying indoors to read or sew. However, I have spotted the snowdrops poking through the soil and can't wait for it to be mild enough to start a bit of tidying up around them.


12 comments:

Jackie said...

These are truly fantastic. It must have been much colder where you are than for us.
I must ask you if you were a onethousandninehundredandninetyniner?
(Or a nineteen ninetyniner? Hmmm?)
x

Carol Q said...

amazing pics Heather

Heather said...

Just to be awkward Jackie - I was a nineteen ninetyniner! Very contrary of me!!

Clare Wassermann said...

wow great glass tubes of grass!!

Maggi said...

The ice sculptures are fantastic as are the leaves. I also have very fat and fluffy birds at the moment - the blackbirds don't even fly off when i go out with more food. Glad you can see your snowdrops, we can''t even see the soil here!

Twisted willow said...

Lovely pictures, Heather, especially the natural ice sculptures. Best wishes to you for the coming year.

Robin Mac said...

What wonderful ice sculptures your grass is making - so extraordinary for those of us in Oz who have never experienced that sort of cold! Cheers, Robin

Elisabeth said...

These ice sculptures are amazing. I shiver for you, but such beauty makes it worthwhile somehow.

Ann Christy said...

Fantastic pictures Heather - I have been staying in where it is nice and warm but you might have stirred me into getting togged up and venturing at least into the garden with my camera. Thank you.

BT said...

Oh wow Heather, those ice sculptures are fantastic. Oooh, snowdrops, how lovely. I think ours went the way of all flesh with the building work - it would be good if one or two have survived.
xxx

Love the curtain patterns too.

Purple Missus said...

And there was me thinking that the only compensation for getting old would be getting my bus pass, being (more)contrary and having everyone wait on me for a change. *LOL*
The icy grass leaves look like something out of Dr Who. :)

Jane said...

Amazing pictures Heather. I hope you are right about the weather holding, I'm afraid snow is about to hit us.