Joys of Winter

Fieldfares! First ones I've seen this autumn/winter.

Is everyone in Scotland?! Apart from Butternut, who is somewhere nice.

No rowan berries of any colour left up here. Haven't been for weeks! Gee those Cheshire blackbirds are slow!

Yes, somewhere nice, Jinglej, but have just returned from the tiny supermarket where not a drop of milk is to be had! That's the downside of living miles from nowhere.

Coming from a farming family I suppose I could always go and milk the neighbours' cows.

Scotland is very nice, n'est pas?

for 'nowhere' read 'anywhere'!

What bit of lovely Scotland are you in, butternut? if you told us before, I missed it. I'm in Argyll, but not as far west as it's possible to be . I think I'm about as far wet as it's possible to be though!

Scotland's the place to be Jingle! The sun is shining, the sky is blue, the sea is calm as a mill pond and the temperature has risen to the dizzy heights of 7 degrees today, they're selling salt by the ton in the local garden centre and in the village there's a stock of snow shovels just waiting for the white stuff to fall

Dare I say I'm a Sassenach, Bagitha - living amongst the Gauls.

Is that going to ruin my thread-cred?

Still love Scotland and hanker for it.

I am not in Scotland, jinglej am in London. I grew up in Scotland and still feel pangs for it, I love to visit it. But the sun came out here too today, it was cold and lovely. I'm afraid I have turned into a townie, and a sassenach to boot! (Whatever that means).

Although now in Cheshire, I am resolutely Scots by birth and upbringing. I would love to have retired to Scotland but this would have left me even further from my family. Anyway, Cheshire is a very lovely part of England with a lot going for it, but I am not, and never will be, a Sassenach! Now, can't we have a kilted emoticon?

I adore the countryside and changing seasons and this morning was frosty, nippy with lovely sunshine. The fields have been beautifully ploughed and look like dark chocolate.

A star studded morning, with Orion's belt showing off his glory.

Crisp bright morning here on The Wirral looking over to Liverpool from the beach a low sun shining on the Liver Bird's lovely

Not so far away, glamma, but the sun hasn't appeared here. It's dull and windy.

We had really high wind's last night but everything all calm this morning,am even considering doing something in the garden as I am late emptying some pot's,not been in the garden for two week's 'cos of that dam flu I had,yes ! that's what I'll do to-day

East Cheshire must have a completely different climate from the Wirral! The trees outside are tossing madly in the wind. When I go out in the wind I have to choose between a beanie hat and earache.

Rain, rain and more rain so steaming up the kitchen with vats of pumpkin soup.

A glorious morning in East Cheshire - the wind has dropped. The leaves are changing quite fast now. My little green maple that looks like a yurt is now fiery and the tall red maple is ever redder. The yellow rowan berries are spectacular against the now bronze foliage but the other rowans are bare already.
Today I am going to Manchester to take my senior GD out to lunch.

We live in in a very isolated village on the border with South Wales. We have a fairly scruffy cottage, but it faces south, and whoever renovated it was very imaginative and we have a balcony on our bedroom which overlooks a most stunning view across the hills and down to the Monnow.
This morning we sat up in bed with a cup of tea and watched the mist burning off the hills and the low sun etching the golden trees - it is quite difficult to get out of bed!!
We do know how privileged we are!

Mishap

I don't live in Scotland either jingle but you know what they say " a Geordie or mackem is just a Scotsman with their brains knocked out "

I've just been thinking about the different threads, and decided that this is my favourite.
Thanks Bagitha ...........

Which has just reminded me to mark down the flock of goldfinches that came by for a while today on my GardenBirdWatch record sheet, butternut .

It's a dreich sort of day here, but I look straight out of the window at my red maple which is now bright scarlet and still holding onto its leaves. A cheering sight.

Same here, Annobel - My potted Japanese maple is a wonderful scarlet - it sits just outside my kitchen window.