Apologies for not writing on Sunday - a mix of yuletide fun and frolics and some wretched football match meant that the weekend didn't go as planned and since then I have been running to catch up. But yesterday, after securing a rare piece of meat for Christmas Day at the market (whole poultry is a bit rare with the avian 'flu outbreak), getting my fourth Covid jab and sending off the final version of a report I've been working on for a number of weeks, I found that I've caught up. Actually it works well, as I don't want to blog for the next two Sundays so pushing the publications back a few days is a good thing.
The previous blog talked of the sharp frosts that had hit that weekend and the cold snap lasted another week. While nothing compared to what the North American continent is facing, it was nasty enough for us in the west, and further east they recorded temperatures as low as -18ºC. The sustained cold meant that buildings lost any retained heat, and we found ice in the bowl in the cats' kitchen one day!
I read today a short story about the midwinter hare, and ours is certainly out and about a lot at the moment. There is a trail through the scrub and I guess there is a den somewhere along the run. The trail camera is at one end of the run and so we are getting a lot of images of the hare and also some short films as it becomes more used to the strange log that has appeared. More of those next week perhaps, as I really can't face battling YouTube today!
The hunters have been out and about more than once, so I am not surprised to see little evidence of boar and deer at the moment - I think they have moved to more wooded ground. We are seeing more pheasant activity however, as they are well sheltered in the enclosed grounds and of little interest to hunters with very powerful guns. Hares and pheasants seem appropriate for the time of year!
One thing I did manage to do last week was to assemble the vast piles of pillows, duvets and cushions that departing second home owners have left with us as it wasn't worth taking them back to the UK and facing paying customs duty on them. My audit showed 6 duvets, 15 pillows, 8 cushions, a bolster and an electric blanket. This was after a number had been donated to worthy human causes. This carful (I couldn't see out the back, I was relying on wing mirrors) was donated to a local cat rescue, sterilisation and rehoming charity run on a shoestring but a handful of lovely ladies who work extremely hard for no reward other than cat cuddles. The electric blanket and the bolster were particularly welcome for kittens.
There are no brussels sprouts for Christmas this year from the plot - they may bulk up in the next couple of months - but we are enjoying butternuts, potatoes and parsley and hope to have a magnificent Christmas parsnip from the garden, now the soil has defrosted!
May your midwinter festival of whatever persuasion be peaceful and mellow.
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