Pic BBC VIA https://www.bbcamerica.com/anglophenia/2014/12/doctor-cosplay-dress-like-missy

I held a coaster. C mocked me. 

 

I wrote briefly about the allotment this winter in yesterday's post. I've not done much more than take a wander and a brief poke around to see what's happening for a few months. C has kept up with the harvesting of produce over winter. The cabbages, sprouts, celeriac, parsnip, kale and leeks have kept us mostly supplied with vegetables for weeks. We buy carrots. There's still frozen beans, cauliflower and a few other bits in the freezer. Onions, garlic and shallots in the cupboard. Potatoes in the shed and several large squashes on shelves. It's been ok. We could have survived on the veg to supplement other things, but not on the veg alone. 

The kale, sprouts and leeks have finished now. We're putting together the allotment plan for this year after a sort through of the seeds. I carefully select a small amount of varieties of things I like. C seems to want to use up half a dozen packets of oddments for each type of veg. Who keeps a record? (or a mental record at least) that would be me, which is why I don't think a random assortment of varieties is any use as we won't know what worked and what we liked. Rant over but is likely to be repeated annually.

The plots have either been underwater, waterlogged, waterlogged and frozen, frozen or under snow for most of winter. So, aside from C topping up my flower patch paths, nothing has happened for weeks. I would have liked to get everything weeded before anything germinates but I don't want to get stuck in muddy beds. 

The main plot needs the old finished plants taken out, the rotting manure turning in and a good weed too. We shall have to wait and see when it becomes workable. 

Alliums and some sickly looking sweet williams.
Anemone flowers - we did have 4 in vases before the snow. 

Spring bulbs showing through.

I hope the dahlias have been safe but something tells me the weather might have been too much for the ones left in the ground. Again, I'll have to see if they re-appear in spring.

Update! Since I wrote this, spring casually announced it's set on making an entrance so hopefully the good drying weather will continue over the next fortnight. I very much hope to get some time down there either this weekend or the coming week. I've noticed the peonies have started to shoot already which is fantastic. Lots to look forward to.

Take care,

Sophie

 

There were a few things to indulge in while we had the snow; heading out safely to see the landscape clad in snow being one of them. I spied a magnificent icicled hedge on a lane with a massive muddle across the road. Every time a vehicle splashed through it, the water sprayed the hedge and added a little more to the icicles until this. How beautiful. It reminded us of our trips to caves where we were told Victorians would put treasures like birds' nests in the water flows to calcify (or petrify) in an enchanting way. 

Putting on walking boots and going for a walk in crunchy, creaky snow. Fun!
Also, I got snowballs thrown at me. I didn't need to duck as it wasn't on target. Notice the lovely blue skies? They vanished.



Super pretty winter scenes. It felt a lot like Narnia. 












The blizzard hit and pummelled us with snow and gales. It lasted maybe 10-15 minutes but it was quite intense to be out in. 

 

We all know that I hate winter. It's a season which I dread and every year I spend a long time moaning about everything horrible it brings. Well, of course that still stands, but dare I say it; the winter we're emerging from has been the least awful in my adult years. Yes, it's been muddy and cold with so much doom and gloom, but there's been an interesting variety of weather. The fact that I've been working from home with only a few necessary work things to leave the house for has been such a benefit. Driving country lanes in the dark and poor conditions was a real worry, especially in threats of snow, heavy rain, fog or ice. So not only have I not had the anxiety of the roads, I've not had the time and energy doing the driving either. On top of that, we've been able to walk. Most of the weekdays it's been a walk in the dark but at least it was a stretch of the legs and just time in the open air. For the last couple of weeks it's been light/dingy which has been very exciting. It won't be long before it will be light for even longer then in a month the clocks change for the better.