Birds and Bumps in the Night

The Hellebores just get better by the day. I took a few shots before the snow came again. So pretty and so welcome in the winter. A few early Snowdrops are opening their flowers too.

We have lots of birds taking advantage of the handouts we provide. This garden is especially good for seeing a variety because we have plenty of trees and shrubs to give them protection as they flit about. We are so lucky to have them. We have all the common garden birds for our area and plenty of woodland birds like Wood Pigeons, Nuthatches, Tree creepers, Jays and occasionally a Great Spotted Woodpecker. We even have Herons visiting the pond. I try to catch them with my camera but they are so quick. Here are some I have managed to capture from time to time.

And I was so lucky to snap this Heron from the landing window as it perched on top of one of our conifers. Fortunately that day the sky was bright blue even though it was December. Made a perfect backdrop to the shot.

I think being able to watch birds and squirrels helps me to get through the winter. Connecting with the natural world, however brief, helps us all and sometimes it’s good to really notice the things we might usually just take for granted. Life is going on all around us if we take a moment to observe it.

We have had snow again. It melted very quickly but in some areas of the country people have suffered terrible flooding. I’m so grateful that we don’t experience that here. Our house stands on a small hill so water drains away from us. Of course, I was out with my camera before the snow disappeared.

Definitely parsnip wine weather so I pulled out a bottle of 2017 vintage and poured a couple of glasses to enjoy with our evening meal. I made one of my favourite one-pan meals. So easy to do and quick but very tasty.

Haddock in a creamy sauce.

I put a small amount of water into a deep frying pan, added half a Kallo vegetable stock cube and a crushed garlic clove, potato cut into pieces, with frozen peas and sweetcorn. When it was boiling I added frozen haddock fillets, placed on top of the vegs. Once the heat came back up I turned it to simmer and put the lid on and cooked for 20 minutes.

Just before it was done I mixed a spoonful of cornflour with a little water to make a runny paste then stirred it into the pan, stirring well to thicken the stock. This made a lovely sauce. Then it was ready to serve. Chopped parsley and a little milk or cream can be added at the last minute to make it a bit more special. Nutritious, easy and tastes good.

Here’s one of my poems to finish off today. I hope you like it. I’m sure you will recognise the feelings I express.

The Sounds of the Night

With the absence of light
Sounds seem different at night.
A soft call, perhaps an owl,
The strange cry of cats on the prowl,
A car door's muffled thud,
Are sounds I might consider good
But when things go bump
And sudden noises make me jump,
A dog's bark pierces the night,
Disturbs my dreams and gives me a fright,
I lie restless, tense and full of fear
- And yet, so many sounds I hear
Are friendly, gentle, reassuring.
Some are positively restoring,
Like the rhythm of the landing clock
Dependably beating out tick-tock,
The creaking of the wooden stairs,
The settling of the old oak chairs,
The breathing of my sleeping love
- The best sound of all above.
With the absence of light,
Sounds seem different at night.

I hope you are all well and withstanding winter in your favourite ways. I’ll be with you again in a few days.