A COLD COMING

 We have of it, more snow, then rain, then slush, etc etc.

So instead of the garden I go to the dentist having been attacked by a home made ginger biscuit. I need a crown. 😒

Up the back field the sheep are showing signs of the raddle bag but it is cold.

And on the Mill Dam above the old Spade Forge there are a pair of Mute Swans - down on the town canal they have been dying off avian flu.

By the next day after prolonged rain and a burst in temperature, well to 8C, the snow had all but gone. There is colour in the garden, a soggy orange peel fungus, mahonia coming into flower and the wonderful red stems of the Acer sango-kaku.

With all the rain and melting snow the stream is in fine fettle tumbling down from the trees.

So come Thursday and a night of heavy rain finally gives way to drier weather (for a moment). Long enough for us to get out in the garden, R tidying around the snowdrops whilst I shift manure onto the compost heap and compost onto flower beds.

I move the green bin the council give us for garden waste to a less prominent place - with all the other stuff, by the cold frame. I lift the lid on the garden box so the wasps will not nest in there this year. Of course I use the green bin for storing water as we recycle all our own garden waste.

The Euphorbia characias wulfenii sparkles with raindrops, the ivy, a weed everywhere, is now displaying its glorious fruit - the birds will be around to feast soon.

Not dark completely by five o'clock now, winter is easing into a new year.

Having rabbited on about a small stream, in our garden here is the Leven at Backbarrow in spate.

It is not quite at the flood it was when the hotel was washed out and the river came over the top of the bridge in 2009 and washed the parapet away. 

Now Saturday and we await a cold blast from the east - a bit of Putin chill from Siberia. Most of the flowerbeds are manured or composted and I have tidied the shrubs that were growing over the path to the pond. R was in the kitchen and looked out of the glass doors to find a squirrel sitting there, bold as brass, staring at her. It finally ambled off.

As I have mentioned Mr Putin I wonder how many hits I will get - it went silly last time - some algorithm doing a big search?

A cold coming it is as temperatures stuck at 1C. Actually it is a going - to the hospital for the follow up for my knee replacement 18 months ago - finally! They just rang yesterday and said can I go today, Sunday! So I said yes - anyway gets me out of a walk and shovelling well rotted horse manure or compost.