Out in the garden, and around : a miscellany of recollections

Getting home early from work on Friday - getting told to go home about 1pm - the mild dry weather meant that I had an opportunity to give the lawn the final cut that it really needed back in November. It then started to rain - and driving to our annual get together with college friends in the pouring rain, we were most cynical when the Archers concluded with "What a lovely starry night!". But by the time we were returning home, it was indeed clear and brightly lit by the full moon.

We went out to Karen's parents as usual yesterday, and the bright weather and full moonlight made the journeys easier than they might have been - and the Smart cruises quite nicely at 70mph, even it if takes a while to get there.

Then today, in bright frosty weather, it was time to prune the roses, the last few frost-bitten buds and all, and the apple trees, where branches were reaching for the sky.

So between that and all the card and wrapping paper from the last few days, I have a green bin that's 3/4 full (even after shredding the prunings to compact them), and no collection of green waste planned until February. Why? At least the local robin was happy, picking up little things from where I had done the shredding, after having watched me intently throughout.

The sun and the frost were interesting to watch today - the sun was falling on one of the cars, lighting up the frosty windows, until in the space of a minute, about 09:10, threads of dark rapidly spread across the white frosting, and them the whole of the sunny side was running with meltwater. Meanwhile the obliquely lit roof became whiter, as evaporation caused more frost to condense.

The pond was about 1cm thick with ice, except where we had put a seed tray as a roof, which stayed essentially clear - so, good for frogs, less good for wildlife seeking a drink.