Joys of Winter

The winds forecast for tomorrow
Visited some of us last night.
The rugged hills are still snow-covered
But the lower, more rounded ones
Had dark tops with snow below this morning
Because the fierce winds had scoured their tops
And whipped the snow off overnight.
And at home DD wondered if the roof was falling in
When snow, part melted, slid down
Our steep old roof with a whumph.

Without wanting to get too d&m (deep and meaningful!), nature has been my healing. You've said it in one, so thanks.....

A beautiful image, bags - love the translucent luminescence.

Lyra and The Swan
Shining out of a clear sky
In my morning window.
The crackling of ice
Under slow cars on the road below us.
Up our hill I crunch up to the henhouse
With a rake to scrape a path
Through the hard snow
From their door to the giant rhodie
(See! Even rhododendrons have their uses!)
Where they will find leaf mould ground to scratch in
And branches to stand on.
A jug of warm water too
Because they won't come down over ice
To their usual drinking puddles
Further down the hill.
Then it's crampons on
And tramp to school
Enjoying the noise of the gripping 'claws'
And not a single slip.
Coming home, facing the hills,
I marvel at the colour wash
Of the rising sun on snow
And think that however clever
We humans are, we'll never, ever
Make a dye to match
Nature's translucent luminescence.

Supernana - a sparkling day for you, lovely.

oooH Baggy, I am impressed! I love it when you do that.
Just learned out what a proton gradient is, listening to Brian Cox etc al on the radio. And the guest who explained mitochondria in about 30 secs.
Do we think Brian is fanciable or has he got an irritating accent. He has a number of things going for him that's for sure. Not as cute as Saba... (which thread was that...?)

Fascinating, isn't it JessM - everything topsy-turvey. I'm beginning to wonder what will happen in the spring.

I think it's called an urban heat island.

Nice!
Not really looking wintry here - one of the neighbours has a hollyhock in full bloom!
In my garden are blooming: fuschias, roses, a few odd scabious and nigella, one chive flower and there is one of those hairy poppies bursting a bud. Not to mention a pale yellow wallflower in full bloom and my winter jasmine...
No longer sure what is early and what is late.
But we did have a sharp frost last night. Although the garden, with houses all around, is the opposite of a frost pocket, whatever that is. A warmish pocket. Strange to think that this time last year we were up to our oxters in snow. Well knees anyway.

bagitha "winter claws" love it!

On the long and winding road to
Campbeltown
Ebony Mountains to the right
With shimmering diamond-strewn tops.
Emerald sea pounding the shore's
Sculptured agate rocks.
To the left a narrow ribbon of turquoise sky -
From which the pearly winter sun
Lights amber gorse and
Garnet berries clustering between
Polished jade green holly leaves.
Ahead - beneath a blanket dark as pitch -
Campbeltown...
One more jewel in
Kintyre's treasure-box.

Snow right down to sea level here, including on the beaches, so a crunchy walk to school this morning. DD said we need to get our winter claws out (crampons). She's right.

I've got snow on the garden bench but it's disappearing in the rain. I hope we don't have the ice we had last year - it's hard work walking the dog first thing in the morning and trying to stay upright!

The first real sign of winter here in Cheshire. When I drew the curtains, I was surprised to see snow on the shed roof and other hard surfaces, though by that time it was raining. So are we dreaming of a white Christmas? Hope not, last year was bad enough.

What could be better than this special 'sending', super. A lucky wee man.

A delightful memory, bagitha

I've often been told my garden is a tranquil place, but there are times it needs children racing around to let it dance a bit!

super, I'm glad! . And I love your 'sending' too.

Butternut Your words are capivating. bagitha Perfect!

I've been wrapping
A special storybook
For a special Wee Man
And creating a special
Greetings card
To enclose therein.
Across the miles
The gift will travel
Through Scotland's
Vast and captivating landscape
Of mountain
Moor and lochs -
Across the border
Onward and downward
Deep into another land
Until it reaches the bustling colourful
City in which he lives.
Will his eyes shine?
Will his smile spread?
Will he understand
As he opens the special gift -
That it contains my very special love?

Oh, butty! I want to be there again!! I can see it in my mind's eye. That feeling of wanting to be there and touch it all reminds me of a time when we were on a visit to GPs in Dundee from Oxfordshire. We had a wee trip to the castle at St Andrews and looking down at the sea we replied to DD1's hankerings to "see the sea" with: There it is!

No! no! she cried, I want to touch it!

Children so love to 'see' things with their hands.

Very thoughtful of you, gm - thank you.

Butternut - lovely! I picked up the 'stillness' of your garden. Hope you have many more smiles today.

I woke-up feeling grey-blue this morning
And it's too misty-drizzly-wet to walk.
So I took my hot mug of black coffee
For a spin around the garden.
The Liquid Amber now has a pretty skirt
of it's fallen leaves
although still stoically holding on to some.
The summer dusty-grey of the Olive
is now fresh and brightly washed
standing above my white rust riddled iron cockerel
which is too heavy to move.
Brilliant green grass
An empty red pot
and the dying-yellow wisteria leaves drip and drop
outside the kitchen door.
Indoors to a warm and steamy kitchen
and my first smile of the day.

Annobel Naturally! Bloshy is my favourite in-word...

You make us see your vision, super. Do you mean 'bloshy' clouds?

Mother nature can be a contrary old thing, can't she! You captured her so well, supernana

Aye! Same again!