Friday 22nd January

It's so good to hear song thrushes singing in the early morning. It's been a bit hit and miss with them since we had all the snow and cold weather. The snowdrops and aconites are on the way and the daffodils are showing now.

So little is going on in my garden, mainly due to the appaling weather that we've been experiencing since before Christmas. I've still to finish putting the wood treatment on my recently erected trellis. Being outside has been an unpleasant experience but I am hopeful of some more mild days over the next few weeks so I can finish the task.

Then comes the much more interesting job of choosing the new climbers to adorn the new trellis. I am hoping my winter flowering clematis has survived the 'savage surgery' and will sprout new life soon.

The iris danfordii are showing well in the pots and will sonn be out together with the reticulata

Still Snowing

Think we've got it bad? I've just been reading H.E.Bates account of the Great Snow of 1939/40. If there wasn't enough strife going on at that time, the weather really didn't help. The snow started just before Christmas and went on until March. I remember as a boy living in East Kent, we always had a bout of heavy snow most winters. Snow fences were erected to stop the lanes from filling with snow. Somehow, we seemed to get about, the trains worked and people, in the main, got to work. What's happened since then. Too many winters without significant snowfall and a distinct lack of the pioneer spirit. Even Norman has curtailed his 'bird watching', spending most of his day next me and my computer, with his friend Louis. I think the comment of 'All Breeding but no class' applies the picture

Still very cold.

Last night the temperature went down to -4c which is the one of the coldest nights in my garden that I can remember. With the proximety of the sea and the nature of my completely walled garden keeps the temperature a degree or two higher, elsewhere it would have been much colder. It's at times like this that I am glad I don't live in the North. In spite of the severe frost, there was a great deal of bird activity this morning. I am putting uneaten cat food out together with the normal bird food. I have one particular female blackbird who is very grateful for this extra nourishment. Norman, our delinquent Oriental cat sees the this bird as fair game but she is far too canny for him and lets him get within a few feet before she hops up to a low branch and out of his reach. Norman has to be watched though as he is getting more and more interested in birdlife for all the wrong reasons. His stint of 'birdwtaching' now over, he is in his basket next to me as I am typing this blog.

Be patient, Dear reader, I am still in a steep learning curve with this blog lark and will improve as I become more experienced!

First outing of 2010

Saturday 2nd January dawned bright and clear with that wonderful almost turquoise look to the sky that is so often a sign of very cold temperatures before you venture outside. The contrast of the black trunks and bows on the trees makes the scene even more striking. The temperature stayed around zero all day but the sun shone for most of the daylight hours.

Having spent so much time inside the house over the Christmas period, it was lovely to get out, albeit in the warm confines of the car. I decided that it would be fun to travel from Faversham to Tenterden, my chosen destination via Stone Street, Lympne and Woodchurch.

On leaving Faversham with it'd close proximity to the sea, I was surprised at the depth of snow at the far end of Stone Street. It was a breathtaking sight looking over the top of the Downs towards Stowting and Ashford.

Tenterden is the most lovely Wealden town with a plethora of wonderful houses and has a feel of an old fashioned town with all of the shops you'd expect to find and a limited number of chain stores. The street is tree lined [H'mm!] as it should be. If you haven't visited this lovely town yet, I highly recommend that you plan a visit sometime this year.

After a brief bite to eat, the journey continued to Bethersden and on to Hothfield, where H.E.Bates lived for very many years and wrote many other stories about the area apart from the Larkin novels.

Then as the light was fading, it was back home to light the fire and enjoy a cup of tea and two delicious crumpets.