Oh dear. After a week of drawing back the blinds to an apricot sky full of rookies flying over purposefully making their way to the pastures 'up dale' where grubs and worms are plentiful, let me describe the scene this morning:
I draw back the blind to a leaden sky and a row of silver birches across from my bungalow, their wet, black branches dripping snow which is falling heavily. Wet snow two or three inches deep, thrown up onto the footpath by early traffic is not a pretty sight, although of course it does advertise the fact that it doesn't intend to hang around for long. And indeed I switch on the Today programme to hear the weather forecaster say that somewhere in the Borders the temperature was minus eleven last night but in a couple of days will have jumped twenty degrees to plus eleven. It does make the sight outside my window slightly more bearable.
I have missed the rooks, all but the last tardy few - are they the old, tired ones struggling to get up and get going (I know the feeling rooky friends)or have they stopped off on their journey over the three fields from their rookery because their sharp eyes spotted a worm in the wet snow?
It is indeed a dismal sight out there but bearable when you know it marks the beginning of a warmer spell - "from the great freeze to the great thaw" as the weatherman goes on to say.
John (By Stargoose and Hanglands)- thank you for the book on rooks recommendation (and thank you Amazon Prime for the very prompt next day delivery in spite of the postal strike). Lovely book. And John - can we have an explanation where you got your site title from please?
Half past nine - blue sky is appearing and drops glisten along my clothesline like Christmas lights. My windowcleaner C came yesterday (I can see cleanly and clearly out of m y windows now! ) and thank you C for going all the way round the footpath round my bungalow shaking grit so that if I go out I don't slip (he doesn't know I no longer go out and it does mean anybody calling doesn't slip either.) C has cleaned my windows ever since I came to live here - I knew his Mum well (she died a couple of years ago) and he has become another friend as he has been coming a while.
I have just noticed a few seagulls about. When I was a child you only seemed to see seagulls at the coast but I understand they nest here too now in suitable places. Does anyone know? I can't imagine why they should when there is usually a fairly plentiful supply of fish and chips to steal at the seaside! And have 'our' local seagulls ever tasted fish and chips?
See you tomorrow.
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26 comments:
The snow is falling here Pat and as you say it is slippery as well. But it transforms the landscapes making beautiful photos and it is a few degrees warmer than a couple of days ago. Also our pipes have thawed thank goodness.
Sunny and cold here this morning, though a thaw is set to begin tomorrow. If you go to my blog and look just beneath the header you'll find the words "What's In A Name?", if you click on that you'll find a full explanation of the blog title. Glad to hear you've received the book so promptly. The gulls you see probably roost at a nearby reservoir and very likely feed on a land-fill site (yummy!). When I was a lad they only used to fly inland when ploughing was underway and I remember sitting in the wood at the field-edge and being mesmerised by their flight - now they're so common here throughout the year that it's easy to ignore these graceful birds.
Most seagulls around here have never seen the sea, and the ones in Cornwall are more interested in snatching chips from tourists than scavenging on the shoreline. Sad but true. Stay warm Weave!
According to my thermometer, it was minus 11 here last night/early this morning too. So, so cold and pouring hot water over the condensate pip when it's that cold was not much fun. It worked though so no complaints.
I hope your wet snow goes quickly. xx
Can you send C over here, please? My windows are in dire need of cleaning, but I have promised myself I shall do them next Friday.
Last night was the coldest night on record for this year, -12C in our parts, and by next Wednesday, +12C is forecast - I predict that quite a few people will complain about headaches and other problems (not me, usually).
You haven't lost your writing touch, Pat. Your descriptions are so vivid and clear that I can just picture your snow-covered neighborhood! We have some snow here this morning but just an inch which is melting on the roads already. Thank goodness, as we have a trip to northern Wisconsin today to celebrate with my oldest grandkids! I am lucky that my oldest son drives me so I don't have to worry. Stay warm and cozy!
We are about six miles inland as the seagull flies and it used to be that they would only come in this far when the weather was bad at sea. Now I can guarantee that if I put scraps on the birdtable, a seagull will appear by the time I've got back to the house. They've got wise!
We will have covered an 18degree difference in a day or so here as well. There will be some very confused plants!
A well meaning gentleman scattered bird seed along the Railway tracks alongside our garden this morning and now we are being mobbed by seagulls. I am not sure that was his intention, at least I hope not.
WEll Pat let me tell you in my very inland town in west central TX we have seagulls, perhaps blown in from a storm and they stay because they like the food at the dump and the bread and french fries in the parking lots... Not a very glamorous life but i enjoy seeing them and hearing them as it reminds me of the Beach.. Hugs! deb
We have seagulls as well. They seem to live near a local dam with a huge reservoir measured in sq miles. They hang out near a lot of fast food joints. Graceful soaring winged rats.
I've always loved seagulls. Not only do I find them beautiful but I enjoy their brazen nature. The last school I taught in backed onto Lake Ontario. As soon as the bell rang for recess the seagulls would arrive to snatch up stray treats that landed on the ground. Students became used to clutching their snacks protectively and keeping a close eye on the skies.
I am glad to hear your Saturday news.
We are having cold nights and a thaw days as well. No snow, beyond a mere dusting, which is somewhat unusual. This morning, from my kitchen window I saw a red cardinal sitting in the cedar tree. The red signals male and the female is very muted; I did not see a female. Seagulls do come inland to our grocery store parking lots. I've been told, they are considered scavengers and look for store dumpsters and food scraps.
How wonderful to have a reliable window washer who also spreads grit on the walkways to keep everyone safe?
Aren't books like good friends that never age? So glad your book on Rooks arrived so promptly so you could begin to enjoy it soonest.
It's breezy, sunny, and very chilly here. Overnight the low was -3*C and today's high should reach 10*C. Cozy clothes (no wool; DS2 is allergic to it) day and night are so comfy and layers of quilts are the best. Hope you still have some of the quilts you made.
Hugs!
I love your descriptive writing.
The new Ronald Blythe is a lovely big book. The title is Next to Nature; A Lifetime in the English Countryside. Full of his own lovely descriptions of the countryside.
Good to have people willing to help.
Isn't the saying, pure as the driven slush? That in between stage is miserable.
Gulls scavenge on anything we leave lying around...and the sea is overfished.
I think any Australians reading your blog would have to agree on our problem of the Australian White Ibis replacing the seagull as a scavenger in urban areas, though pigeons carry on regardless. With their elegant long beaks, they have the nickname 'bin chickens' here, or 'tip turkeys', and they are native to the country's inland wetlands but have urbanised. They are a real problem with evidently up to 9,000 in the Sydney region alone...and then of course there are the cane toads up North, but that's another story. - Pam.
I remember seagulls as an exciting bird one only saw at the beach - now there are days that they carpet the parking lot at a nearby shopping area. I try to hold on to the pleasure of them even if it happens more frequently now.
ceci
We don´t have any seagulls here - too far away from the sea. For some years now, we go on holiday on the North Sea island Amrum. The village baker there has very distinctive orange bags and wrapping paper. As soon as you leave the shop, you will be watched by seagulls, and don´t even think about putting the bag down! They will even try to take it out of your hands. The seagulls are so clever!
Hilde in Germany
I saw a write up about the new Ronald Blythe book in the Telegraph yesterday and have ordered it from Amazon, it looks like my kind of book.
I do like seeing our Seagulls posing on top of monuments, etc. They can be a pain, but I wouldn't want them gone.
Blog titles are interesting aren't they? Would you mind sharing the origin of your blog header. I bet it has an interesting story. Merry Christmas to you from sunny Florida--stay safe and healthy.
The name of my blog "Weaver of Grass" There are tiny spiders here and in Autumn they leave gossamer webs all over the top of the grass in the pastures. I felt it was an appropriate title when I was a farmer's wife and wandered about the fields looking for something to write about. I later found out that there is a book of that name written by someone who weaves baskets..
Thank you for your replies - so many ideas and interesting to see that every country has its scavenger birds.
What a disappointing end to Strictly, for me at least. I was hoping that one of the women would of won it but then that guy did cry a lot, which all helps get the votes.
I must say Derek I wanted him to win - I thought he was a wonderful dancer. As one of the judges said - he danced the music.
Thanks everyone
After a warm start to December we are about to plunge into deep Arctic cold with below freezing temps on Christmas Day.
Whenever I can make it to the field at dawn I am treated to a hundred or more crows leaving their roost .
Such a thrill to watch!
I have been enjoying the presence of a winter hummingbird who’s still using my late blooming flowers. That’s all about to end though.
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