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Chelsea's avatar

This week I was amazing at how the snow lit up the garden at night. The moon bouncing off every white surface to illuminate the garden. Added bonus we’ve had a lot of clear nights so I’ve seen been star gazing every night when I let the dog out. ✨

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Lia Leendertz's avatar

There’s such a particular quality to light when it has snowed isn’t there, and yes with the big moon too. Sounds wonderful.

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Ella Bragonier's avatar

Those crab apples are really beautiful Lia, and glad you are on the mend. I am honoured to have my mention of Alpenglühen given such a special feature. It’s such a great word isn’t it? My three seasonal things from this week are: Walking along a busy high street with bags of good things (Christmas chocolate, a florists bundle of ilex and eucalyptus, candied orange peel), a sparkling untouched patch of snow that was in my garden in Bristol this week early one morning, and the two blue tits that have made our frozen back garden wall and bird feeder their regular perch. I have to say I haven’t seen December days this beautiful or cold in Bristol maybe... ever. It’s freezing but the frosted roofs, trees and low winter sunlight are simply stunning, aren’t they?

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Ella Bragonier's avatar

Oh and an extra one - my dad has been making ice lanterns in the garden! They are beautiful and just one example of finding a silver lining to these freezing temperatures ❄️

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Shannon Morgan's avatar

They sound lovely! How does he make them?

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Ella Bragonier's avatar

A mug or bowl of water in the garden, with a smaller bowl or tea light shaped object balanced in the water and weighed down with a few pebbles in the bottom and a piece of wood across the top. Then wait until frozen - @Clausdalby does a beautiful tutorial of a similar process on his Instagram x

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Shannon Morgan's avatar

Thank you!

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Lia Leendertz's avatar

Ooh gorgeous! And I love the sound of your Christmas shopping…!

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Ella Bragonier's avatar

It was lovely! On Gloucester Road actually which you might know if you are Bristol-based?

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Lia Leendertz's avatar

Yes I love just off of Gloucester Road! And that’s exactly where I imagined you.

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Anne's avatar

So many beautiful things! I have two this week. Four redwings eating hawthorn berries and crabapples in the garden and the almost unbelievable sight of a stag, right on top of a snowy hillside on the Blacka Moor nature reserve just outside Sheffield, silhouetted against a beautiful pale sky. Just a brief moment- we were passing in the car - but so special.

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Lia Leendertz's avatar

That sounds amazing, what a sight.

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Rachel Goddard's avatar

I'm glad you are starting to feel better, sometimes it's good to stay close to home and have to notice the wonder close by. I have been photographing frozen, snow covered seedheads and unexpected roses in my garden. I also enjoyed lovely walks with the dog bounce and frolic in the snow (she hates any weather above about 15°!) My inside seasonal thing is making paper snowflakes and Christmas star decorations.

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Lia Leendertz's avatar

My littlest dog always seems to hate the cold but has LOVED the frost! She races around like crazy. I think it must be damp weather she hates, uh oh…

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John Berry's avatar

Yesterday I was looking out the window and noticed the wooden arch in my garden is apparently a cozy spot, for a fox to spend the day. It's well-covered with clematis, making it a safe and a fox comfortable place to sleep. only needing to prick up its ear when my dog was in the garden

I was there all day. At dusk, the fox woke up and scurried away, disappearing into the night.

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Lia Leendertz's avatar

How special! Gorgeous that it felt so safe there.

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Lindsey Melden's avatar

Those crabapples are beautiful! My 3 things are: flocks of little gray juncos in our front garden each morning, swooping hawks on our drive to and from school, and lighting candles/twinkle lights to make the grey days more cozy. 💖 Love reading everyone’s favorite things.

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Lia Leendertz's avatar

Aren’t the lights lovely, we don’t have ours out yet! Very behind.

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Lindsey Melden's avatar

We have no snow here in Ohio yet!

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Shannon Morgan's avatar

I love juncos. So sweet.

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BridgetW's avatar

My thing this week was opening the curtains to see a hedgehog scuttling ~ surprisingly quickly! - along my neighbours’ icy path.

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Lia Leendertz's avatar

Oh gosh, hope he/she is ok!

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Sylvie's avatar

Merci Lia . You know it's a very tiny village and not à lot décorations . But lovely and of course it s magical with the frost and snow this week .

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Mo's avatar

this week we've been snowed in in our little valley and and I have seen how the sun rises behind the hill at about 10.15 am, just skirts the tops of the trees until 2.15pm when it goes down again. 2) Thanks to your heads up Lia, I took my blanket out into the snow on the clear night of the 14th and lay watching for shooting stars and saw three before it was too cold to stay longer; and number 3 is the nuthatch who's been visiting our birdfeeder - just wish I could tell my dad (who died last year)

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Lia Leendertz's avatar

Oh these are beautiful things. I’m so sorry about your dad but how lovely that you think of him when you see a nuthatch. He did well x

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Mark Diacono's avatar

A carpet of gingko around the house is mine from this week

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Lia Leendertz's avatar

Ah magic, I love the way they sort of splash over the ground. Very striking.

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Shannon Morgan's avatar

This morning I'm watching birds surf the wind in County Donegal. Luckily, we have a snug house to watch from! Hope you feel better soon. :)

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Lia Leendertz's avatar

That sounds like the best bird watching spot in this weather…!

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Ean Powell's avatar

Picked a pot of frozen sloes. A bit late for xmas but no rush. Gin or Vodka?

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Lia Leendertz's avatar

Vodka! I reckon. Only because gin already contains its own flavourings. No rush indeed, it will be delicious next Christmas.

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Ean Powell's avatar

Vodka it is. Finished sloe collection early this morning b4 the rains came. I don't think the sloe vodka will be resisted as long as next Xmas! But I do still

have some of both vodka and gin from the winter of 2020/21 so who knows. X

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Sylvie's avatar

Bonjour dear Lia . Merci for your lovely newsletter despite you were not very well . This is a time to reflect and rest . Sending you best wishes for a full recovery ready for Christmas time . I am writing to you from West part of France in a little village next to a forest . I just want to tell you how much I admire your work . I am an artist too . I visited Bristol when i was leaving 10 years in england and i really loved your town !!! The red crab apple tree is so beautiful and gives a vibrant glow . Have a lovely day . Merci for everything you have created and shared . Love from Sylvie

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Lia Leendertz's avatar

Thank you Sylvie, that is very kind! I hope (and imagine) your little village by the forest is looking very pretty now.

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Emma Adams's avatar

A little late but during the hard frost in Belfast ( we didn’t really get snow ) I had great joy in the return of my favourite garden birds flitting back & forth to my topped up feeders. A pair of beautiful bullfinches, a charm of goldfinches & the ever reliable noisy family of sparrows. Honestly has made my last week or 2.

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Dec 16, 2022
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Lia Leendertz's avatar

What a wonderful thing to do! You’ll have saved some little feathered lives.

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