The frosts have been spectacular over the last week of so. It's been so cold that they don't seem to melt away, but just form layer upon layer of tiny ice crystals on the leaves, trees and plants. The woods we visit daily were transformed earlier in the week and I really, really wished I'd taken my big camera with me. A really heavy frost - like snow - has the ability to transform the most everyday route into something really magical.
It was brutally cold. There was not a breath of wind but freezing mist hung in the air and the weak sun slanted through the trees.
It's been very cold at work - especially on Mondays after the heating has been off over the weekend - and I've taken to wearing a thick woollen cardigan over my usual dress, tights and boots. Due to lots of staff birthdays, there has been an almost daily supply of cakes, biscuits and doughnuts in the staff room over the last few weeks. I've done my bit to keep myself padded. Shivering must burn calories, surely?
Angus was delighted to find that the standing water inside the wheelbarrow, watering cans and bucket in the back garden had frozen solid. He took great delight in smashing it all.
But I'll take cold and sunny over wet and mild any winter's day and it's so good to see the sun shining into the house. Lately I've really noticed how much lighter it is each day compared to a month ago. Now, when I get home around 4.30pm, it's still light when I play with Molly in the back garden.
I have been surrounding myself with my usual January comforts and rituals; baking, a new crochet project, making marmalade, buying hyacinths, cooking hearty meals like sausage stew and Shepherd's Pie.
I have just begun a lightweight spring cardigan in the softest of pinks. The cotton is so soft and has such a soft, matt colour, it's gorgeous.
Something for when the days are a little warmer.
*
Thank you so much for your comments on the quilt - I'm so glad I shared it with you. Thank you also for the dog-related comments and advice, we do appreciate that a lot. Formal training sessions start this week although I am trying my own recall training in the back garden, for as long as I can stand the cold. I also bumped into a very nice lady yesterday with two retired greyhounds. We chatted for a long time and swapped numbers, and she told me all about the things happening locally for greyhounds - there's loads! It's a whole other world. I had no idea.
I'll leave you with a photo of today's dense fog. Spooky!
Hey Gillian,
ReplyDeleteThere is something rather lovely about a line of home made preserves cooking on the kitchen window sill. We've had a little frost, but nothing as spectacular as you. And yes, cold and bright as opposed to wet and mild.
Leanne xx
Cooling on the window sill obvs....
DeleteIt has been frost on frost here too, it is so beautiful isn't it, very cold though, but somehow the beauty beats the cold! I have noticed the lighter end of the day too, it is amazing what a difference there is when you get the end of January. Hope the dog training goes well, I am told it is about training the owner, hope you enjoy it and that Molly does too!
ReplyDeleteWow, that second photo is spectacular. I've noticed here that the frosts have lasted all day in places too. We like to bash bits of ice whenever we can as well. Good job on the marmalade, I'm very envious. CJ xx
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos. Here in Oregon, USA, we've had an unusually cold (and snowy) January. Still, there are hints of Spring and we can see the days lengthening too. Your pink will be a lovely sweater. Have a fun time with Molly and her on-going training.
ReplyDeleteLovely frosty images & my favourites are 1 & 8. I just had marmalade on my toast for brekky, but I'm afraid it was store bought. Good girl for taking the time to make yours, but after a terrible disaster with jam in my younger days, I just don't do it. Look forward to seeing the little cardigan & hearing about your training of Molly. Take care.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your photos. We're about to have much colder than normal weather for the next few days and I'm actually really excited about it. The hot seasons are so long here, I'll take as much cold as I can get.
ReplyDeleteSparkling frosty days, marmalade making and wool-winding - sounds like a good recipe for a winter's day. I am swooning over the dusky pink wool ... possibly my favourite colour! Here the frost has been so heavy that in some places it looks like snow has fallen.
ReplyDeleteLove the foggy photo and that pink yarn is scrumptious. Thanks for the marmalade reminder, I shall keep an eye out for Seville oranges next time I'm at the supermarket. Happy dog training. xx
ReplyDeleteBeautiful, atmospheric frosty photos. Your marmalade looks scrummy and tempts me to make some even though I don't normally eat it! The Wool and the Gang project is a delight, such a pretty colour.
ReplyDeleteIt's wet and mild here in Winwick, no beautiful frosty mornings up here! Your marmalade looks fabulous; there's something special about home made :-) xx
ReplyDeletePretty, pretty pink! But oh things look so cold.
ReplyDeleteVery cold here, too; minus 6C as we speak, but sunny (and longer!) days with the sun tempting you to throw open all windows and go out - until you realize how COLD it really is...
ReplyDeleteThe soft pink is lovely, I have a dress in a similar colour for spring and can't wait until it will be warm enough to wear it again.
Frost and mist do indeed transform even our most familiar paths in something magic and mysterious.
Can't the heating at work be left on at a very low level over the weekend? They don't want water pipes bursting from the frost, do they?
I sometimes grumble about the smallness of "our" office at our biggest customer's; there are three of us sharing the space that often is assigned to only one person, and it gets a little crammed when we have someone in for an interview or so. But at least it warms up real quick!
I just love that first photo. Definitely one to display. Also love the wool that is my colour of the moment. I have to take my dogs out in the dark with a torch, so I can't wait for actual daylight. X
ReplyDeleteThe frost has been amazing this week. I'll take freezing and sunny any day over grey and mild that's for sure. Oh that marmalade sure looks good. I reinvested in a big slow cooker this week. My current one was on it's last legs and too small for our family, and I am having so much fun looking for recipes to do much more stuff in it than the usual casserole. I wonder if it does jam?!!!!!!!!! xxxx
ReplyDeleteI love cold frosty mornings, especially for taking photos. We had a warm foggy day over the weekend and we had some equally spooky scenes!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely series of images, and yes we had shepherd's pie at the weekend too, it is definitely that sort of weather isn't it! x
ReplyDeleteYour photos are brilliant, a real talent there Gillian. Happy dog training and crochet - obviously not at the same time! Jo x
ReplyDeleteNo frost here, just drizzle and misery. There was a news item recently, it had something about 'cake culture at work' in the title. Death by cake was the gist of the article. Ok, maybe I am exaggerating a little :-) Love your photos, they bring a little light and colour to an otherwise dreary day. x
ReplyDeleteThanks for a lovely post, Gillian. Frost and marmalade, stitching and fog and ice to smash...delightful.
ReplyDeleteWe still have ice on our ponds, but the sun shone today which was much appreciated. Cheering on your Molly adventures :) xx
Beautiful photographs... The frosts have been so prettying this week. But yes, cold. So very cold. I too like this freezing pretty mornings, though today is grey and low and I love this too-lovely to come home after the school walk and cosy up with some crochet. I have decided this is the only activity for such a day! I so love the look of wool and the gang... maybe one day!
ReplyDeleteThat last photo of the fog is lovely! I love bleak weather and I love winter, but even I get fed up when it's the same day after days after day, which is how it's been around here! Today the sun was shining but I had a really long day at school so didn't have any time to enjoy it. This is a lovely collection of photos and it sounds like you've been making the most of the season.
ReplyDelete