Away Day in the Frozen North (Midlands)

Today was the coldest dawn I can remember since we lived here, and it also happened to be the day we had to drive to Stafford and back to collect the new campervan 'im indoors has bought on eBay.

I walked out of the front door about 7.45am, took two steps and slid the rest of the way to the fence, in spite of wearing sensible walking boots. From there I held on very tight along the path and down the steps, from where I was in the woods and walking on non slippy stuff. A gentle rain was falling, which was freezing as it hit the ground, so by the time we got back half an hour later it was quite icy everywhere.

We spent ten minutes or so de-icing the monster truck before we could start off - and then, of course, we had extreme difficulty getting it to the top of the hill. Down the other side and over the bridge was easier, although I was glad I wasn't driving at that time. Once we got on to the main road it was quiet and peaceful, light traffic and easy driving, so we made pretty good time up the motorway, although Miss TomTom chose to take us the scenic route for the last bit, down the quiet country lanes which were still frozen and quite slidery.

The campervan was good, the deal was done, we came back in convoy (slowly) as far as Strensham, where Ron and I had sausages and mash and a cup of tea, then I took the monster truck and the dog home and left him to follow on at Transit van speed...

When I got home I expected the dog to want to go straight off for a walk, but he insisted on going into the house. Once there, he inspected all the rooms (looking for his Best Pal) then had a whimper and sat on the stairs, quite depressed. I had a cup of tea. Some three quarters of an hour later, he heard Ron arriving and jumped up and down until I let him out to meet him. THEN he wanted a walk, all excitement, so I took him past the Big Tree and up behind Cowdray until we heard a Transit manoeuvering, whereupon he stopped stock still, then turned round and ran home. I could have told him that the van we heard was up on St Stephens, but he wasn't risking losing his Best Pal again! Dogs is weird, is all I can say.

Other weird things today: Over the road there is a garden with a camellia in bloom (well it's got two flowers on). I saw a field full of sheep with lambs just this side of Exeter on the way up this morning. I saw a blackbird bathing in the stream when I took the dog down the creek this morning. And I saw a buzzard flying low across the motorway with a rat in its talons, also on the way up the motorway this morning.

Enough odd stuff. Time for bed!

Winter Wonderland...

This is what I consider to be perfect winter weather - a heavy frost followed by a clear, calm blue sky. Down at the creek this morning the water was completely still, although it wasn't possible to see all the way across for the steam rising off it.

The sandpiper has been joined by a curlew. I wonder sometimes why we only ever seem to have one each of this occasional bird varieties - one egret, one sandpiper, one curlew, one kingfisher.

'Wintry' Weather

After a couple of really cold days, yesterday morning appeared to be slightly warmer, wet underfoot instead of frosty as I set out to take the dog to the woods. So, of course, I was oblivious to the big patch of black ice halfway down the steps leading down to the coombe, and landed face down on the concrete. Luckily for me, my face was actually over the edge and I was wearing fleece lined waterproof trousers and jacket (and gloves) so I was mostly unhurt although a little shaken.

I should have known better, of course. The dog had actually slipped in exactly the same spot the day before, landing spreadeagled and looking very shocked. I wasn't holding on to the handrail because it was visibly wet. Ah, well, one lives and learns to be a bit more careful next time. And it gave me the opportunity to make use of the gritting sand the council kindly provided for the community about five years ago, and which has never been used because it hasn't been cold or icy enough since.

Today it was slightly warmer again, here, although the rest of the country is still, I understand, gripped with ice and snow. It was actually very bright, too bright for safety, when I was driving to the resource centre this morning, with the sun low down and the glare from the wet roads.

nature notes update

Two firsts today: long tailed tits in my garden, testing the fat balls, and the first blackthorn blossoms of the year (due in January, really) up at Churchtown.

It hasn't been quite so cold today as recently, but damp and grey instead. Now that winter really seems to have set in more birds are coming to the garden. No sparrows at all - they are still on an elsewhere - but a small flock of mixed tits and chaffinches seems to pass through occasionally, mostly checking the birches for insects but also coming down to the feeders at the same time.

I took Ty up to Churchtown in the afternoon and spotted some blackthorn blossom on one of the hedges - at the same place as I have seen it in previous years, but even earlier, I think. Perhaps they will have a better year next year. There have been very few sloes on the trees this year, not to mention the missing acorns, hazelnuts, beech mast, blackberries, etc. There were a few berries on the holly, but almost all of them have been eaten already.

There are still a few flowers struggling on the brambles, and there are already catkins on the hazels.

Winter Visitors Arriving

It's a little calmer and warmer today, grey but not actually raining. Down at the creek this morning (half tide again) there was a larger than usual variety of visitors, but almost all alone; one swan, one kingfisher, one jay, one robin, one crow, one sandpiper. The sandpiper is a regular winter visitor, seen for the first time today. This is the third winter I have seen it at the creek, but there only ever seems to be one. There were quite a lot of ducks, as well. A mallard with what seemed to be three half grown ducklings, and two gadwall. A grey mullet was floating idly with his back out of the water, then suddenly leapt a good foot clear of the surface, somersaulting before diving back in. I wonder what upset him?

The beginning of winter?

It's very autumnal now, indeed it's equinoctial, with gales and rain and general misery all round. It wasn't too bad in the morning; when I went down the coombe with the dog it was grey but still and dry. There were eight swans and George the Goose milling about in the creek, which was at about half tide, plus the usual egret and a lone Gadwall drake. It was so still for a moment there that I could see the swans' reflections, but as I was watching them there came a clanking of halyards from the boats on the Tamar, the wind starting swirling under the viaduct and the rain came down! And came down, and came down... And the wind has got stronger and stronger all day, as well.

I was trying to stave off the inevitable afternoon walkies when I had a phone call from Tom, who had a job for me, so I went to pick it up on my way to Churchtown with Ty. Churchtown was a mistake today, it is far too open and exposed to the weather. I wore the yellow waterproof but had made the mistake of going out in jeans because I was calling in to see Tom, so by the time I had been once round the top five fields my legs were completely soaked. And my car keys were not in my pocket. Definitelynot there. I spent a good few minutes fumbling with cold wet hands in pockets full of plastic bags, but nothing. Nothing for it but to go round again, hoping I could find them...

Off we set again, although I still couldn't believe I'd dropped the keys, and continuing patting myself down, sort of, while keeping my eyes on the ground. And eventually found a lumpy bit of coat lining, which proved to be my keys. The hole in the pocket they had slipped through was so small as to be almost invisible, and took me a long time to find before I was able to retrieve them. As I eventually got into the car the rain stopped, which was adding insult to injury. The small god of walkies is a mischievous god, sometimes...

Catching Up

Where does the time go? Apparently it's two weeks since I wrote anything here, although it seems much less. And it's not as if life has been completely free of incident...

Well, the good weather is partly to blame. We had over two weeks without any rain and (mostly) with sunshine. I was easily tempted into more dog walking than usual, gardening, etc. I have planted 50 daffodil bulbs, which is a lot of work in the stony shaley claybank that is my 'back garden' and the even stonier but flatter patch at the front. I also acquired a beautiful blue and gold glazed pot from a boot sale, which has been planted up with a blueberry (currently with glorious bright red leaves), daffodil bulbs and pansies. This has been parked next to the front door, and one of the pansies already has a flower. Other gardening has mostly involved the removal of montbretia to try to give some space to put other stuff in, and lots of overdue weeding.

Last weekend was the last of the good weather, it would appear. On Saturday we went to a 50th birthday party and it was still warm enough for it to be held in house, marquee and garden. The dress code - posh frocks and flipflops - was interpreted in some interesting ways, particularly by some gentlemen who had DJs with bermuda shorts. Long red velvet sleeves with ruffles are not ideal for barbecuing mackerel in the dark, I must say, but the results were delicious!

On Sunday Ty and I went through to Plym Bridge to meet the gang for a walk. There were ten walkers, three dogs, one cyclist and one neighbour who met us for lunch. We went along the cycle route which is mostly a disused country railway (including quite a long tunnel) five miles to Clearbrook on Dartmoor for a very pleasant lunch in the garden of the Skylark Inn and back in time for tea (well, icecream from the van before it closed for the afternoon). It was very easy walking as it was almost all flat, but we did have one or two problems with cyclists who seemed to feel walkers were not allowed (not true) or that it was acceptable to come up behind people at full speed and barge straight through. Don't bicycles have bells any more? We were walking responsibly, keeping to one side of the path, keeping the dogs under control, etc, but still had a couple of uncomfortable moments.

On Monday the weather changed. It's gone distinctly autumnal, very windy and quite cool with showers of rain. Not quite cold enough to put the heating on or get out the bit quilt, but I am sitting here wearing woolly socks and a fleecy jacket over the Tshirt and leggings I wore for pilates class tonight. Ron's brother came down on Monday for a couple of days - it's a pity he missed the Indian Summer.