Recent days

This was the scene from our bedroom window earlier this morning.  It was still dark except for the street light in the lane reflecting onto the trunk of a lime tree and the glowing yellowy/red of the rising sun in the sky. 

 

The neighbourhood trees have now lost their leaves, but there's plenty of colour still in the garden.

 

It was time for some more baking and last week it was another chocolate cake and a small meat and potato pie for an evening meal.  As usual half of the cake gets given to our local daughter when she calls during the weekend with the shopping.  However, I've decided to do some online shopping now and again for the times when she or our granddaughter cannot come by with some shopping. 

The tomato plants have been cleared from the covered yard although there are still a few tomatoes still ripening indoors in the kitchen.  It's amazing to still have a few fresh tomatoes for cooking.  The citrus trees and pot plants have been brought indoors and Mr P continues to grow some onions and other vegetables. 

I've managed to get out for regular walks mainly in the local park and we've driven over to the next village of Bradfield, stopped and I did some walking in the lower area by Agden Brook.  I'll share some of my walking experiences next time. 

Finally, a touch of festive cheer was added to the front living room when our granddaughter came by and brought us a small Christmas tree which was then placed in the front window.  We don't put out the decorations until nearer to Christmas, but we appreciated the thoughtful gift.  I shall be thinking about making an Advent wreath and on Sunday I shall get out the Advent calendar that I recycle and use every year.

It's a while since I posted a blog, but I've been looking at yours when I can and always appreciate the comments you leave.  For those who had Thanksgiving I hope you had a good day.  Regards and all the best to everyone wherever you are as we journey into December.

An evening sky and gardening this week

We've had some unusual evening skies this week.  One evening there was an unearthly yellow light and looking out at the sky there looked like a storm brewing up. Apparently it was an infrequent cloud formation that some photographers had recorded.  On Friday evening the sky had a rosy glow.

Last Saturday we went to the local garden centre with our daughter as she wanted to get some bedding plants to brighten up the garden and choose some others that we could put in pots and hanging baskets. There were plenty of plants displayed at our garden centre to inspire us.

We bought daisies, pansies and saxifrage to supplement the spring flowers.

It's been a busy gardening week for my husband tending the vegetables in pots. The flower beds had to be dug over between the existing plants and the grass needed cutting. Now the garden looks tidy and if the weather improves there will be more to do in the allotment.

Sky watching: Dawn

The weather here in South Yorkshire has turned very cold.  The high countryside where we usually walk has seen its first snowfall.  We, too, live relatively high up, but are sheltered in the lee of the hill. It's time to put up the long, heavy curtains at the front door and give thanks for a warm home. We wake at the same time every day just before the dawn breaks.  Sometimes it's been raining all night.  What sort of weather will we have during the day, I wonder? There are old sayings about the weather that would give a rough indication.  I wonder if they are reliable in these days of what seems to be abnormal weather?

Here it is at dawn yesterday and this morning - two very different skies and two very different days regarding the weather.  Yesterday was frosty, then wet and very cold. Today it's turned out sunny and dry and also very cold.

                                           6th December

                                           7th December

Tomorrow will be an even earlier start as I'm going to York with a group where we shall visit York Minster and the historic centre.