January

The year started with cold crisp weather; a bit too cold and potentially slippery underfoot for venturing outside so an excellent reason to stay indoors. We didn't get the heavy snow of other places but enough fell, just into the second week, to change the world to somewhere magical where wild beasts prowl the pavements, and, more prosaically, to  block our drive and make getting the car out impossible. 

Then it suddenly faded away over night leaving the est of the month dull and dreary. We've thankfully had no dramatic deluges of rain but I feel it's been one of the most relentlessly damp winters I've known.

To cheer things up, I'd set hyacinth bulbs in December and now they were beginning to flower plus I treated myself to a bunch cheap supermarket daffodils, both welcome precursors of Spring flowers in the garden. 

To occupy me, I started the first of my Christmas present craft kits, three trolls/gnomes off on an adventure. This was an excellent project for short winter days as it mainly involved a little crafting followed by a longer period waiting for glue to dry

Then, while the rain continued to fall, I completed another Christmas present - a jigsaw representing plants from around the world.

As the month wore on, I thought I ought to make an effort to get back to a normal rhythm and undertake something a little more practical, checking my 'to-do' list and turning frozen tomatoes into passata, and pickling the 15p red cabbage left over from Christmas.

Towards the end of the month, things suddenly became busier. We headed up to Manchester to join my younger daughter and her fiance at the Bengali Sri Sri Saraswati celebration, and the next day (fortunately dry) visited Dunham Massey's Winter Garden.

Back home, seizing another dry day, we went out to Kedleston Hall to see more snowdrops in flower, I went out for tea and gossip with a neighbour, and by the end of the month I spotted crocus on one of my late afternoon local walks.

Spring is coming! .Days are noticeably longer and, with luck, the rain will eventually stop.

 

November snow

My mother's birthday was in mid-November, and our family tradition expected snow either on the day or very soon after. This year certainly didn't disappoint. 

Late on the 18th, snow started to fall - despite not actually being forecast to do so. By bedtime we'd had quite an appreciable amount fall but I expected it to change to sleet and rain, as forecast.

In the morning though my corner of the world was white over.The trees and lawn were covered in snow, the birdbath smothered, the red poppy bird feeders full.

For a couple of days I stayed home, relatively warm and snug, but once  the pavements and pathways looked clear and safe (even for a person inclined to fall and/or twist ankles) and the sun was shining brightly I headed out. My plan had just been to head over to the playing fields but the day was so lovely I was tempted to add on a walk round our local wood.

There was even a robin looking seasonal.

 

Back home though the winter jasmine continued to flower brightly.

Frost and snow

December arrived with cold temperatures and hoar frost, crystals growing out from leaves, transforming mundane plants into things of beauty.

Even dead twigs took on new life.

It wasn't a totally monochrome world though - here and there winter shrubs brought colour to the garden.

 And before a thaw set in, snow fell. Not a lot, but enough to cover the world in white for a day.

Snow day - or two

Last weekend was one of cancelled plans and unexpected snow.

Derby missed the highest winds - they rushed in further north and while the garden was shaken nothing fell over - but there was little warning about snow.

Sleet had been forecast for Sunday - and we were beginning to wonder about the advisability of a proposed trip to Chatsworth - but about lunchtime light fluffy snow started to fall. And fall. And fall. So we cancelled that idea, instead sitting tight and watching flakes cover the garden, turning it into a winter wonderland.

I was a bit surprised to see everywhere still covered in white the next day

It was the wet bulky sort of snow that clings to everything - transforming leaves, branches, even the washing line into something magical! Not for long though. 

 

Jottings - February 14th - hibernating

 

Last week it was so very, very cold outside that getting up and doing something (anything) wasn't appealing. Days were dull and cold but with little snow, sunsets were fiery red, and the birdbath water froze solid for three days.

 Maybe the contrast between lovely warm indoors and freezing temperatures outside encourages us to be lazy; to curl up somewhere snug and semi-hibernate. Obviously if you have work to go to, a dog to walk, grocery-shopping to do, then staying huddled inside isn't an option. But I've nowhere I need to go and, having seen forecasts for heavy snow, did my shopping early. 

So I stayed in. 

I tended to the sourdough (made my best loaf so far, plus naan, pizza and dumplings from the discard), 

I started reading Troy by Stephen Fry (one of my Christmas presents) and continued my Wii Lego journey through Middle Earth - that's nearly finished with just a few irritating tasks left to do, and I've decided to start a Lego Pirates of the Caribbean alongside.  Made cake with aquafaba, coconut water and blackberries from the freezer 

I finished the gloves/hat/scarf set made with another Christmas present, and I'm now at that 'find the next project' stage. 

Other places had huge snow drifts or beautiful icicles worth walking to see. We just had cold, iron-hard ground with the lightest covering of snow. On Tuesday I went out in the hope of finding some snow away from pavements and roads ... but didn't, although falling snow made pretty stars on my coat.