Squirrels, Treetops and Birthdays

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas, snow or no snow.

We had a white Christmas.

As it's so cold, -5 to -10 degrees centigrade, the snow that fell a while ago is still here. Sometimes we wake to a heavy frost making the trees all white again.

I think it's been so cold that we got a new visitor to our garden.

Or maybe two!

There are lots of squirrels in the forest but they often remain well hidden, and until this last week I had never seen one in the garden.

The first one comes and feeds under the kitchen window. He/she seems quite young to me, though I'm no expert.

The one on the little yellow house may be the same one or a different one, I'm not sure.

The weather has been lovely over the Christmas period. We already had the snow then the sun came out and made it all special again.

Yesterday, after Mike spent Boxing Day (UK holiday on 26th), in bed, we took a walk to a lake with the dogs (of course).

Jewel was straight onto the ice.

She has no fear and doesn't hesitate.

We both felt the benefit of the walk.

But then Mike wasn't feeling well again today.

So I've spent a quiet day, walking the dogs some, and taking a few photos.

It was too lovely not to, though the photos don't always do it justice.

I didn't stray far though.

This is the view from the back of the house.

The house sits in a hollow, on top of the mountain.

(It's a hill really).

And during the winter months, the sun doesn't make it above the trees.

And as we're surrounded by trees,

only the treetops

get the sun.

And they look lovely.

Later, the light was particularly special.

Sort of eerie.

But the dogs heard me getting my coat, and they came trotting up from the bedroom, where they'd been sharing it with Mike. Or in Rufus's case, came bounding up!

And by the time we had a walk in the forest where it was already dark, when we came out of the forest,

the sun was setting.

So we stood a while,
Paddy, Jewel and Rufus,
gazing about us.

Sometimes one would turn their head and look towards the forest, and I'd notice,
that they had all turned to look.
Something was there,
perhaps watching us,
a fox,
or a deer
or two?

And then we carried on back to the warmth of our cosy little house,
with the log fire.
In a beautiful forest.

And Mike, still not well,
but feeling a bit better.

A quiet end,
to a quiet birthday.