Joys of Winter

Turdus merula is the blackbird. Whoever named them didn't think a lot of them... Maybe resented being woken up by the little s...ts at 4 am on a spring morning?
I like troglodytes troglodytes - its the wren. Likes little holes in walls hence cavedweller cavedweller
Quite unrelated - pan troglodytes - the chimpanzee - cross between the god of the woodland and a caveman!!!

Just been on a lovely Welsh walk and saw choughs (pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax - i am guessing this means red bill - any Latin scholars? or is it Greek?) doing their aerobatics in a fierce southerly. Swooping, nose diving and trying to push each other into a mid-air stall. Sound like a jackdaw with laryngitis when they call. Never seen more than one in Gower before. Bring 'em on.

Annobel Ooh! Yes please...a GN anthology would be utterly luverly

super - another great poem - again wonderfully visual. We really should have a GN anthology.

Butternut, I am going to buy the ingredients for the Brooonie right away. Bags has made me hungry which I have no right to be, after a bowl of leek and tattie soup thick enough to stand on.

Bagitha Can you spare a wee portion to enjoy with my afternoon tea? And, just in case I should be doing my duty at the big house on your birthday, I would like to wish you lots of fun and laughter and a good deal of spoiling...

Pleased to hear you liked it, bagitha. The Broonie is certainly a winner.

Watched as Rory -
Big black feral cat
Stood aside for
Smaller tabby cat
Whilst she ate
From his tasty dish.
Under the hydrangea
Weeny tabby watched -
Waited for her turn
Eager to sneak a morsal.
Earned a gentle "clip around the ear"
From father-figure Rory.
Mother cat nods and thinks
Manners matter -
Patience pays dividends
Eventually!
Off the trio strolled
Full-bellied
Into the depths of the ancient wood.

Had some broonie with my early coffe and it was lovely! I was generous with the walnuts. Next time I make it — and it will be a regular now! — I'm going to add a little malt.

Thank you for those poems - they were wonderful.
We had a hard frost last night, and the pine forest opposite my flat is completely silver - it looks as though someone has planted a lot of artificial Christmas trees overnight. I am now going to walk on 'frosted fields' for several hours.
Still no snow, though - very worrying for a ski resort.

Hope you find it tasty, bagitha, and that it's yummy enough for your Birthday!

May not remember on Tuesday Baggy so I want to get my birthday greetings in now.
Happy birthday to you.......Happy birthday to you.... etc. etc.

Just taken my Boiling Broonie out of the oven. Smells and looks delicious. Technically it's my birthday cake for Tuesday but I've a feeling it will have to be tested before that just to make sure it's alright for the birthday.

Yes, Turdus viscivorous is the Latin name for mistle thrush, turdus being thrush and viscivorous meaning mistletoe-eater. Apparently.

Let me know how it turns out for you, Oxon70 and bagitha.

Is Visci a nickname for a Mistle Thrush?

Sounds like a great cake and I will try it out on the family for Christmas. Thanks, Butternut

Thanks, butty! Heading kitchenwards at speed of light <whoosh>!

Amendment - Sugar can be anything from white to deepest brown - whatever you have to hand.

Thank you Butternut! This sounds really different with the cardamom. Will do it! I love making cakes, but mustn't eat much, so I try them out on my daughter too!

Have just been looking up pineapple jam recipes as I have one which my daughter gave me and I can't face eating it all....found one with courgettes too, which might well adapt to using pumpkin....this is related to the gardening,
as I grew pumpkins this year for Halloween and only one out of three got used....

Mam's Boiling Broonie

Grease and line loaf tin.

4 oz Marg. or Butter
1 cup of Water
Half-cup of Sugar (here you can add your choice of spices). I used 1 flat teaspoon of Cinnamon, and half-teaspoon of Cardamom seeds (crushed)
1 cup of Raisins
1 cup of Currants. (I don't use these. I replace with a mixture of chopped apricots and walnuts. Once I used a cup of dried cranberries and even a drop of sherry)
Teaspoon of Baking Soda
Teaspoon of Treacle

Boil for 15 mins. Cool then add 2 eggs and 2 cups of S.R. FLOUR (add a bit of milk if the mixture is too dry - but it shouldn't be)

Put in Loaf tin (and sprinkle on golden demerara sugar)

Bake at 180 (or equivalent) for about 40 - 45 mins.

It keeps well for about a week if well wrapped, and freezes well, too.

bagitha I rushed outside with the camera as I wanted to capture the rainbow. I was forced against the door by the wind. By the time I had recovered, the rainbow had evaporated.

Butternut A Mistle Trush. Delightful

Give the Mistle Thrush (I call him/her 'Visci') my greetings, won't you, butty? And I'm looking forward to that cake recipe too.

super, thanks for another lovely picture. We have a rainbow to the NE as I write .

A morning for words of nature's splendour
and of chickens and caribou.



The Mistle Thrush is back -
Late for breakfast but in time for lunch.

* Supernana* that's just beautiful

bagitha Lovely

The wind rages against the sea
Creating enormous breakers
Urging them to the shore
Where they smash and crash
Upon the silent rocks.
The highest peak of Jura
Wears a snowy cap.
In our garden
The scarlet Kaffir lilies
Bend but refuse to break.
The gnarled ancient tree stands proud
Well-lived and interesting
Though far from the flush of youth.
And then -
A moment of magic -
A rainbow arcs across the angry sky
Scattering colour like sparks of hope
To be captured in the mind's eye
Before slowly but surely fading away.

Actually I may as well write it out here - but later - have a pot to stir now.

Oxon70 - A dear friend from Shetland gave it to me years ago - a cake her Mam used to make. I've added nuts and spices - but you can add anything once you have the basic mixture. Would you like me to 'PM' the recipe?

Star Vega shining on me as I woke
With Ursa Major to the east
In a clear sky.
An hour later the loch was obliterated
By white rain in a wind from the south.
Then, at ten, the northerlies
Blew away the clouds and mist
To reveal a cake-dusting of snow on the hills.
Right now as I write
There is blue sky and white sky,
White hills and brown coppery hills,
Shining white bark on a silver birch
And golden yellow leaves on a cotoneaster.
The chickens have come out of hiding
For breakfast number two.