Another Arctic Blast!

East Kent feels exceptionally cold during these recent 'blasts' from the east. This morning, I left home and the sky was blue and the sun peeping round the edge of a few puffy clouds. From within the warm confines if my house, all looked lovely. Step outside and it's an entirely different picture. The wind was one of those that made your face ache and found it's way into any area of clothing that was less than triple layered. I returned at 11.30, frozen and lit the fire much to Norman and Louis's satisfaction.

I have been checking my weather log and apart from a few milder days around the third week in January, the temperature has been struggling around 2 to 3 degrees C since before Christmas.

Last week I really thought that we had seen the last of the snow and ice for a while. The birds have been singing really well and starting very early in the morning. At 5.45, song thrushes are in full voice and a little later on in the mornings, a chaffinch has been exercising his voice. Now the severe weather is back all has been silenced in the bird department.

It's good to see snowdrops out in plentiful quantities, what a cheering sight and a herald for all of the love,y things to come. So let's keep cheerful and hope spring soon returns.

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.

THE COMING YEAR

I am really looking forward to 2010. Having worked for the same company for 25 years in a very time consuming role, I have had little time to indulge myself on my two passions, wildlife and gardening. Each month there is so much to see and to do in the garden, now I will have a bit more time for both gardening and wildlife study.

The first 'negative' thing to happen to us in January is that the anti-tree Nazis have finally got their way and all the trees are being felled in Abbey Street. We have been promised replacements by the council. Let's hope they fulfil their promises. From now on we need to keep a very watchful eye on one 'Miss Unpleasance' and make sure that her desire to fell the trees in Abbey Place for car parking is not granted.

I'm mourning the loss of my winter flowering clematis following the total annihilation of the boundary trellis in my garden after the November gales. By now, we should be enjoying the flowers and on milder January days, the Bumble bees. My winter flowering honeysuckle, also succumbed to the inclement weather, was a mecca for hungry bumble bees.