Wildlife in December

With plenty of natural food available still, bird numbers have been a bit down on normal. Unless of course you include starlings. We have had two occasions where mumurations have briefly landed on us. Estimated numbers of 200 on the first occasion and 300 on the second. Not a hope of a picture, but pretty impressive (and noisy) at close range.

Another Useful Present

A visit from Paul who is spending Christmas with us brings with it more of our kind of presents. Remember the Scullery alterations that were brought forward by the boiler being replaced and the opportunity to install a radiator at the same time?



Well it's all done now!

It has really improved the room, much more space, much warmer and we really don't miss the corner cupboard which was the only one we did away with. All we need now is a coat rack for the wall and our new 'back' entrance will be complete.

Christmas Comes Early

We don't do Christmas presents to each other, we don't do Birthdays or anniversaries either (Aren't you glad you're not married to one of us?!). However we seem to be doing very well this Christmas. Not only to we have a new, super duper boiler keeping us toastie warm, today the front of house was transfromed a bit more from this........


to this............



Not bad for no presents, especially as a lovely new pair of Riding Waterproofs arrived today too -that's me spoilt to bits, but nice and warm riding out for the rest of the winter!

Serious Drought?

I know we all keep saying it, but how bizarre it seems to us that much of the country has had such an awfully dry year and is apparently facing another drought next year. Telling you over the phone how wet it has been here really doesn't do it justice, but perhaps some pictures from today might help explain!

We normally have a path and a 'herbaceous border' along the back of the house. Today we had a moat and a water garden.


Neighbours were worse off, with run off from the fields rushing down the drive and across doorways. Sandbags had to be put in place in a hurry - fortunately they did the trick.

We needed to get to Glenridding to pick something up, along the way we passed a few local becks. You know the sort, picturesque trickling stream. The kind poets write about - like Trout Beck, just across the A66 from here...



or Aira Beck down at Dockray...



The road along Ullswater was the same as many others - passable with care. That's Ullswater on the left, getting very close to being level with the road

And then Red Tarn Beck at Glenridding, just before it runs into the lake, seen here on both sides of the bridge

That's the bridge which is normally many feet above the water line!

First Snow

The first snow of the season appeared on the fell tops on Wednesday (30th Nov). Then again they were white on the top on Friday (2nd Dec). This morning it was our turn.
What started out as rain turned to hail, then it turned into freezing rain.






Then it turned into snow.



Looking on the positive side, it did allow me to get a few shots of something I've tried repeated to capture, but never with any success. Not brilliant pics, but evidence of a murmuration of Starlings immediately behind the house. A frequent occurrence at the moment.