Friday 1 January 2010

A brand new year.




Last evening we sat by the fire with family and friends and saw the New Year come in. We watched the rather splendid firework display on the television - it does seem as though world capitals are competing for attention with their ever more spectacular displays. It was a beautiful show and it was lovely to see the faces of the people watching, who had been standing in the cold for hours waiting for it to start. I do like the idea that London Transport were providing free travel home on the underground until something like 4.30am.
There is a little bit of me which thinks of the huge amount of money spent on such displays and wonders if the money couldn't be better spent on helping - for example - the homeless people on the London streets - but maybe I am being a killjoy.
Last evening there was quite a snowfall and my guests had to unfreeze their windscreens before starting off on the journey home, but at least the weather was seasonal. And we had a glimpse of the blue moon (only occurs when there are two full moons in one month) in its partial (very partial) eclipse. I took a photograph of it and I show you it here. Not a very good effort, but the moon, with that hazy halo, was looking her very best to see the new year in.

23 comments:

Lisa at Greenbow said...

Happy, healthy, creative New Year.

Anonymous said...

Wishing you a wondrous 2010 Weaver. Many blessings to you an yours. Happy New Year.

Crafty Green Poet said...

we watched the Edinburgh Fireworks (I agree, the money could be better spent, Edinburgh has had to tone them down a bit since city centre buildings started falling apart due to excessive vibrations from earlier more extravagant firework displays!) from our own flat and had seen the moon with her aura earlier in the evening while we were out.

Have a wonderful New Year.

Maggi said...

A Happy New year to you. Couldn't agree more about he amount of money spent on celebrations. I wonder if the homeless in the cities got a feeling of warmth and hope when they saw all that money going up in smoke.

steven said...

hello weaver! i saw our own fuzzy blue moon through a haze of steadily drifiting snowflakes as i went for my new year's eve walk. i love the header photo. "public footpath" always makes me want to get my boots on and see what's over that hill. have a lovely day in the dale. steven

Golden West said...

Thank you for sharing your writing and photographic views of your beautiful corner of the world. Wishing you and the Farmer the best of health and happiness in this new year. I so enjoy joining you in your garden, on the farm and along the country roads.

Heather said...

The moon was particularly beautiful last night, I thought. Your new wintry header is lovely and very evocative of Yorkshire. Hope your friends got home without mishap. Happy New Year. I'm inclined to share your thoughts about the fireworks - they really are 'money going up in smoke'.

Jane Moxey said...

A very happy new year to you, Weaver. I stood and admired the blue moon last night. It was a bit cloudy but was visible nevertheless! Hopefully it was a good omen for everyone for the new decade! I had the same reaction about the extravagant fireworks put on here in Seattle. The though about the sheer expense of such a spectacle with hungry homeless people out and about in the city.

DJ said...

Best New Year's wishes 'cross the pond...

Cat said...

Happy New Year! The moon was beautiful last night and I love your photo.

Raph G. Neckmann said...

Happy New Year Weaver! Love the photo and also your snowy header!

Dianne said...

My feeling exactly. The moon has touched many of us as the best firework of all, and I didn't know it was a blue moon.
I knew it was special,
thanks for writing 2009

Cenya said...

Greetings Weaver,
Love the header photo. I'm of the same opinion that we should be using more money for helping people, although I wouldn't get rid of fireworks completely. We need food for our souls as well as for our bellies. I enjoyed seeing your picture of the blue moon since I couldn't see it from here. Too much cloud cover.
Have a healthy and Happy New Year.
Cindee

Denise Burden said...

I was one of the very lucky guests. Thanks for such a lovely evening. We all really enjoyed it - both the very very tasty food and your very very entertaining company. Our car became stuck in the snow on the way home so you almost had three extra people staying overnight!
All the best to you and the farmer.
See you Wednesday.

alison said...

It's looking very wintry up there in your part of the world. It has all melted here, which is a shame as it was very pretty although I couldn't get the car up the lane for a couple of days!!
Happy New Year to you both (and Tess of course!)

Hildred said...

Happy New Year Weaver, - we didn't watch fireworks last night, but listened to the New York Philharmonic playing An American in Paris, - I do so love to watch the musicians and their expressions as they stir up that marvelous music. The clouds dispersed, racing across the sky, and we caught sight of the 'blue' moon momentarily, and I was able to capture a picture which I will post in a while. Tonight we will listen to New Year's from Vienna and hopefully their usual finale, Radetsky's March. Blessings for 2010 from Charles and I.

BT said...

I'm glad you had a lovely New Year's Eve Weaver with friends. I love the moon photo and noticed it last night too. We are threatened with -10C tonight. Can you believe that?

We,too, watched the firework display and the same thought about cost entered my head too, but I suppose if we didn't have any entertainment, people wouldn't travel into town and spend money on food and such like. It's just a thought.

I'm glad your friends were able to get home after the snow. A very Happy New Year to you and the farmer. xxx

Dinesh chandra said...

Hi nice moon, happy and healthy New year.

Regards
Dinesh Chandra

ChrisJ said...

I like your banner photograph. It really does looking like setting out into the great unknown.
Somehow we really seem to have our priorities out of order in this world.

Ann Christy said...

Happy New Year. You lucky girl catching a glimpse of the blue moon. When I went outside to let the New Year in at our house there was no sign of it. It is our our annual ritual for me to be standing outside the front door freezing holding on to the bread and coal - waiting for someone to open the door. I am the only person in the whole street standing there! What is that all about? A blue moon would have been a really welcome sight!

Elisabeth said...

It rained for our New Year's Eve, for yours it snowed. In any event it came for us both, hopefully with the promise of more enrichment in the year to come.

For some strange reason, Weaver I'm looking forward to you writing about the advent of spring. I've read your thoughts now about the end of summer, autumn and winter. I've yet to read about spring. You write the seasons so beautifully.

Dave King said...

One of the many upsides of getting behind with my visiting is coming to your blog and finding so many brilliant posts waiting for me. Not just brilliant, beautiful. Have a brilliant and beautiful 2010.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Thank you for all your comments and for the New Year wishes. Now we all have to get our heads down, weather this winter and look forward to Spring.