Posts that Didn't Happen: January 2025

And on to January 'proper' . . .

After our festive wanderings, it was home again, home again on New Year's Day - welcomed back by a (possible) view of the Northern Lights.  See picture of 'reddish' glow!

Within the week the weather began to turn really cold, and we even had a smattering of snow - which morphed into ice on our country roads, keeping us home for a couple of days or so.

Van 'planning' continued despite the weather, with various plumbing bits being ordered, kitchen units measured up for, and electrical work actually underway.  Here's a view of the 'in progress' electric control cupboard.

Later in the month we were heading back across country again, fitting in a birthday visit to Stratford-upon-Avon along the way.  A few days with family, sorting out medical appointments and other bits and pieces, and enjoying some Moo time (not sure she appreciated her Dad's attempt at hair dressing!). 

Home again to yet more stormy weather - although 'Eowyn' was far less destructive in our neck of the woods than 'Darragh', and our new prom lights made it through unscathed:

By the end of the month, there were even signs that Spring was on its way, with some early daffodils appearing in a sheltered spot down the road from us.   

Looking forward to some warmer days ahead . . .

Sunshine after the Storm

The latest storm of the season - Storm Christophe - landed this week, and while it wasn't that stormy in some ways, it did rain, a lot!

The paddling pool at the top of the garden was soon a rather large 'lake', which while it was draining off into the field next to us, couldn't quite keep pace with the amount of water still coming down and finding its way in from the top field.

Meanwhile on the other side of the crossroads the road had flooded again, although not as badly as in 2018.  Even so it was rather surprising to see someone riding their bike through the floodwaters!

 

By today the water was subsiding rapidly, and it had (mostly) stopped raining.  

The sun even came out for a little while - illuminating the first daffodil of the year.  Hopefully that means Spring is on its way!

First Daffs

After what amounts to one of the few cold snaps we've seen this winter, the eventual blooming of the daffodils, was somewhat delayed, but we are now seeing the first splashes of yellow around the garden.






Ironically the same cold snap seems to have jump-started the snowdrops into action.




And we've also got a nice showing of crocuses (or is that croci??).




Should really get out in the garden before much longer - lots of things to clear up / weed / prune / plant!

Mud Month?

Was looking for something interesting to say about February and its weather (see below), and came up with the following from Wikipedia:

Historical names for February include the Anglo-Saxon terms Solmonath (mud month) and Kale-monath (named for cabbage) as well as Charlemagne's designation Hornung. In Finnish, the month is called helmikuu, meaning "month of the pearl"; when snow melts on tree branches, it forms droplets, and as these freeze again, they are like pearls of ice. In Ukrainian, the month is called лютий meaning the month of ice or hard frost.

Actually 'mud month' is a little unfair - February really wasn't that bad - still quite cold, but generally rather sunny:

Thus far, March is continuing cold but sunny - the Green Shoots of Spring remain 'un-sprung' for the most part. St David's Day has come and gone without a daffodil to be seen - although there are signs of flowering any day now . . .

Let Sleeping Piglets Lie . . .

Must blog about the garden soon (watch this space), but couldn't resist putting up something on the piglets we saw at Llanerchaeron today.

Llanerchaeron is our local National Trust property, which we usually visit two or three times a year - mostly to wander the walled gardens, and the old farm buildings, which usually host some livestock.

Today we were checking out the fruit cage there as we are planning one of our own. But there were lots of daffodils out in the garden as well - and a really interesting 'frilly' specimen in one of their greenhouses, as pictured on the left.

The highlight of the visit was

however the piglets of varying sizes. From the very small, sleeping in the sun next to Big Mama, to some independent scaredy pigs who kept running inside the sty when we walked past, to the largest, which were somewhat restive rattling around looking for food.

What really caught our eye though were these snoozing babies (pictured below), who achieved a near pyramid formation by the time we left. Sleeping on the outside is obviously unpopular - we watched one move off the end and position itself on top of its siblings, to be followed by the new outsider, who went for the inside top position. Meanwhile, the others snoozed on apparently undisturbed!