Joys of Winter

to everyone who contributes such beautiful word pictures for us all to share.

Smoky grey sky -
The perfect backdrop for
The ghostly granite shapes
That loom out of the teal green sea.
A buffeting wind
Blowing candyfloss-like spume
On to the chattering, scattering pebbled shore.
Up-rise the screeching white gulls
Swirling, twisting, turning - before
Plummeting to the dark waves below
To be cradled in the ocean's liquid arms

super, you have just made me so nostalgic for the West of Scotland - born and bred on the Firth of Clyde! Love that 'chattering, scattering...' and the description of the gulls - you have caught their movement so graphically. You are writing with an artist's eye.

and

Would it be a good idea, in due course, to make a collection of our Word Pictures' and investigate whether or not they could be published in a small paper back book?

The quality of light is so beautiful this morning. It's glistening through the golden leaves of the trees outside my window and filling my room with light. The rooks and the seagulls are having shrill arguments, teasing one another and enjoying aerial bombardments - all the while being ignored by the garden birds below who are busily filling up from the peanut feeder and bird table.
I wish I had time to walk down to the sea this morning, but alas my first student will arrive shortly.

The fuchsia outside the back door is still in bloom, and the rose at the front is having a final fling. But the birches are shedding their leaves now, and on a beautiful day like this, with the sun dappling the grass, it is peaceful.

"I thank You God for most this amazing
and for the leaping freshly spirits of the trees
and a blue dream of sky......"

(ee Cummings)

Butternut, what is that cake? - 'Mam's Boiling Brooney' - please?

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.

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?

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

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.

* Supernana* that's just beautiful

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.

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 .

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

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.

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....

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

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

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

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

Is Visci a nickname for a Mistle Thrush?

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.

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.

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

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.