Of This And That

Of Rivers

What a difference a week makes.

These two photos were taken from the same spot

of the same part of the river.

I am not at all sure which view and temperature I prefer.

Muddy brown meltwater, dull skies and drizzle,

or last week's frozen river and clear, cold days.

Of Gardens

The water in the water butt is still frozen solid.

The butt measures three feet by two feet

and holds over 200 litres of water.

It was toppled by its own weight.

Wonder how long it will take to melt?

Of  The Twelfth And Last day Of Christmas

This was once the most festive day of the twelve, its celebrations ruled by the King of the Bean and the Queen of the Pea - respectively the man and the woman who found the concealed bean and pea in their slice of Twelfth Cake, If a woman chanced on the bean, however, she could choose the King; while a man, who got the 'pea slice' could select the Queen.

Of Molehills And Snowdrops

The early snowdrops are very late this year, 

The last few years they were out and in full bloom by Christmas.

But molehills have appeared everywhere.

To destroy moles, take some white or black hellebore, the white of an egg, some wheat flour,

milk and a little sweet wine, or mead, make it up into a paste and put pellets of the size of a nut into their holes, which being greedily eaten by them, will occasion their death.

The New Gardener's Calendar 1779

And, finally, of Labradors : first there were two,

then there were three.