ICE, SNOW AND A SLIVER OF MOON

It might be cold but this is my favourite kind of weather; Snippet's too. The moon has been stunning in the early morning, in this case with a little vapour trail underlining it. This next one was taken the next morning when the rising sun was catching two more vapour trails. 

Here you can see how hard the frost was; almost like snow. The light was breathtaking; real "sky-blue-pink" as my Grandfather used to say to describe any colour he couldn't put his finger on. I haven't heard that phrase for years.

After lunch, Snippet and I struck out over the rock hard ground. Such a relief to come home with clothes not covered in muddy splashes. The frost was unchanged, despite the winter sun.

The detail on the ice puddles had changed again into finer, more intricate patterns.

  

I love the way the frost remains within the shadow lines here.....

....and the marsh is solid. I have disturbed three Snipe this week and, as usual, failed miserably to even get a blurry picture. One day.....

We have had coal on the fire for the last few days. The first time this year. It had been our intention to be as carbon neutral as possible with our heating but unless we are in all day, it's just impossible to use wood when it gets this cold. There is something wrong with our stove as if you shut it down with wood, it just goes out instead of ticking over. Most days, thanks to our super-efficient french foil roof insulation that we put on all the walls, we don't have to light the fire until 7.00pm. That gives us hot water for the next day, and the heat is retained enough in the house to keep us warm....ish till the following night. This picture is of yesterday's frost and the next of today's snow at the same site:

Not a huge difference really. It wasn't a huge fall and had more impact on the road than the grass, other than our garden, which is still covered! These pictures are from this morning.

Coming down the drive

Sitting on a cairn. That dog has no respect.

Sunrise

Looking particularly handsome

View from Trigger's field

Betty nibbling at tiny new gorse shoots

I think this is the pony I did the sketch of but, with all that fur, it's difficult to tell

Rain is forecast for the South West so all this will soon be gone. Unfortunately, given the temperatures, we will probably be attempting to drive to school on a glacier tomorrow morning as a result. It's the Christmas play so we MUST get in.  Until next time....I hope the rest of your week goes well and here is a wet bearded Snippet.

FOG AND FUNGI

Just back form the Brixham schlep. What a nightmare it is. It took nearly two hours this morning and tomorrow I have to get Origami boy there BEFORE 9.00am.....help! Was awake from 4.00am this morning stressing over my route and rightly so it turned out; the fog on the roads was the worst I have ever driven in and people were scooting along at 80 miles an hour on the dual carriageway with gay abandon. When I took Snippet out this morning at 6.30am it was pitch black and so foggy that my torch just illuminated a stretch of white cloud in front of us. Snippet is basically tarmac coloured which wasn't helping matters. I gave up and tried to get my eyes to go nocturnal. Not entirely successful as I bumped into the verge on the lane and lost my footing, sliding to the ground and putting my hand into a crop of slimy fungi. Talking of which, apologies for not identifying the following but I just don't have the time at the moment. I will endeavour to do so at a later date. They look lovely though! There were more but the fog over the last couple of days has not been kind to the camera lens......

This one was 5 foot in the air on a beech branch

These too...

Some more foggy pictures.....

Middle Tor

I think Lizzy will be fine over winter! 

Number 10 is looking better for it being milder. He, number 2, Lizzy and their respective mothers, the bright bay gelding and the strange filly from the far left of my banner photo seem to have established quite a stable splinter group now

Fog dog

I would normally be out walking at this time but am waiting for the arrival of a new camera. I hadn't realised how much technology had come on since the manufacture of my 13 year old Fuji and thought it impossible to get something which will have enough zoom power to capture the elusive birds without spending many hundreds of pounds but it seems I was wrong. So £170 later and, wincing as I pressed the relevant payment button, I should soon be the proud owner of my third Fuji. Oooooo - it's just arrived! It may take a few days to charge it and work it out but I'll be interested to know what you think of the results. Right - I can go out now, having sullied the delivery man's computer thing with my kiwi fruity hands; I was just finishing lunch. Here are some other pictures from the weekend:

Mother and foal from another herd

Master of all he surveys

I love this one!

Origami boy (who doesn't feel the cold as you can see) and Snippet inside a fabulous structure someone built of gorse in a sheltered place by a wall last year. It's still standing but is definitely not waterproof!

I rescued this little frog from Trigger's water bucket; it had fallen in and was swimming around the bottom, unable to scale the vertical sides

This looks like a painting I think....

A Dipper on the wall at the bottom of the drive, taken through the car window with my little compact camera. I can't believe you can see it's a bird!

A sweet little female Chaffinch in Chagford. Given the lateness with which they fly off when being approached by cars, I've always thought they must have tinier brains than other birds. 

Misty mossy rock

Sorry for the photo overload - it's been a busier few days than I was expecting. Don't forget to let me know if you want to be entered for the draw for the drawing in the last post if you haven't already done so. I'd better see if I can get something done before the return of Origami boy after today's kayaking (not sure about that spelling) and abseiling. Rather him than me. I'll leave you with Snippet at dawn; until next time....