Week 48
First frost; kickable leaves; the starling tree is back
Hello!
Winter has really arrived this week and I have been out in full hat, scarf and gloves (or without and regretting it). It is cold, and with it it is suddenly really quite Christmassy indeed. No mince pie OR mulled wine for me yet but I have a feeling it’s going to be this week. We can resist no longer.
This is our weekly post where we as a community track the tiny changes in the year and ask ourselves: what has been particularly ‘this week’ about this week? You can join in by hitting the comments button at the bottom of the page, and everyone is welcome. They are always small things and somehow they build up to paint a beautiful picture when all put together. And to prove it…here’s your Week 47:
The sky taking on a glassy grey vibe which only happens in winter
'Peak every tree' - glorious colours glowing in beautiful golden sunshine
Drawing around huge plane tree leaves, cutting out of felt, then using miniature clothes pegs to hang the felt leaves from a ribbon to make a string of autumn bunting for Delilah’s bedroom
‘Stick season’ in Vermont: the period between the gorgeous foliage season and snowy ski season. You can see mountain ridges that are usually hidden by leaves
My annual listen to Nigel Slater reading his Christmas book
Dry, papery leaves scraping & swirling over city centre pavements - nearly losing my scarf to the wind
A roast chicken, fragrant with garlic & rosemary & the crispiest skin
A procession of packages arriving and being squirrelled away
Thanksgiving recipes like old friends
All shades of gold through russet out on the heath
The morning sky a sweep of coral red across the silhouettes of the poplar trees, showing their balls of mistletoe that have been hidden all summer
Rainbow chard plants appearing in all their shinyness as the plants round them die back
The city lights at night and the first mulled wine
Looking for texture in monochrome days
The robin wearing himself out bossing everybody else around in the garden
The looming household pressure of mock GCSEs (and A levels)
Pheasants in the garden against the glorious russet and gold of the beech hedge
Beautiful dawns - cirrus clouds in pink skies
The sudden drop in temperature and a beautifully clear cold moon quietly shining in the sky
First gritters out on the local roads
Winter making artwork of the trees - intricate thread work and the finest filigree
Making orange garlands and gathering in greenery and ilex berries to make my room feel super cosy
Flu again
Turning a key in a lock on a dark evening, to be welcomed with light and warmth inside
Putting up sparkly lights around the front door
Beautiful!
Here’s my Week 48:
First frost!
First frosts have come in right on time, hard and crisp and white and making everyone feel super festive. I was once told by a book seller that nobody wants to buy Christmas presents if the run up to Christmas is warm. It just doesn’t occur to us until quite late. And then as soon as the temperature drops…the shops are full and we are all stuffing our baskets with gold coins, Quality Street and Beano annuals. As the author of a book that is very often bought as a Christmas present (The Almanac 2024…) I’m hoping that’s true.
Please note the ‘zoomies lines’ on the grass - the dogs just love the hard cold ground and it makes them race about. Little weirdos.
Kickable leaves
The leaf litter is thick and dry and very very kickable. I tried to get a picture of my boot kicking the leaves and it looked stupid, so here is the beautiful Korina against a wallpaper of leaves.
The starling tree is back
I was mourning the lack of starlings in the park about a month ago presuming it was yet another sign of the earth’s inexorable decline, and I stopped a local man who does a bird watching round every morning and asked him where he thought they might have gone. He said ‘Oh, they just haven’t come back yet’. I had no idea they were seasonal, but yes, hooray! they have now returned to the park, where they gather in huge gangs in one tree at a time - often this one as it’s next to a house that feeds them - and they trill and whistle and beep. It’s a joy and I’m so glad. Maybe there’s hope yet.
That’s it from me. Please do consider buying an almanac or two as part of your Christmas shopping, and if you have already bought one I would be delighted if you would consider leaving me an amazon review here - you don’t have to have bought it there but reviews really help me to stay ahead of my many copycats (grrr…etc) and to let people know that it’s a good buy. And it really is.
But most importantly, please do leave your comments below. What have you done/noticed/baked/knitted/sniffed this week that seemed particularly ‘this week’?
Snow! It feels early, but looking back over the years, it's not that early, really. It came and went and then it came back and has been on the ground, freezing over and being covered again by fresh snow for four days now.
It's snowing as I type, big, fluffly flakes hurrying to the ground to add to the quiet, covered landscape. The walks in the forest are so silent now, except for the sound of my footsteps there's nothing to hear, no birds chirping, no insects humming and buzzing, only the silent snow and the frozen transparent gold of the last leaves scattered over some smaller fir trees like haphhazard christmas decoration.
Inspired by your starling tree, I must keep an eye on our equivalent. Two trees sometime hosts to parakeets, magpies, crows and I have see fieldfares. The beautiful, sunny frost-bitten days. Cosying up and rugging-up horses. Knitting the second sleeve of a nice warm jumper.