A Bit of Colour on a Sparkly Day

Our main computer seems to have developed a virus making it unusable. So I'm on the second computer where I was browsing through some photos this morning. I came across these colourful photos and thought I would use them here.

The morning had a dull and icy start to it.So I waited for it to warm up a bit before taking the hounds out. Sure enough, the sun came out and it was lovely out, even warm, when all wrapped up of course.

After the walk, I then drove to the vets to get some more painkillers for Rufus. I saw the lady vet who treats all our hounds. She is lovely. She said she had just been thinking about Jewel (there is a photo of Jewel on the windowsill behind the receptionists counter), and was wondering how Rufus was. So I updated her.

To get to the vets, we have to travel upriver to Bernkastel and beyond. It's only a matter of about 6 miles. There are some locks on the river in the next village to us, and from then on, all the way to the vets, ice covered the river. Not only ice, but the snow that fell yesterday, making a river of white. It was spectacular, sparkling in the sun. Just a shame I didn't have the camera so I could have shown you.

So instead, I am showing you a bit of colour in the form of this throw that I made last year. These photos are dated the beginning of March, so I guess it's been finished for about a year.

Well I'm hoping the sun continues to shine over the weekend. It makes everything so much more cheery. Hope it's cheery for you, whatever the weather.

A Cold Snap

I took this photo a while back. After having an incredibly mild winter, Mike passed a comment about how we hadn't had a winter. Shortly afterwards we had some frosty mornings. Then about two weeks ago we had a light dusting of snow which has lingered until now in places. And from then on it has just got very cold. There is even ice on the river.

Yesterday afternoon it snowed again. It was bitterly cold when I took the hounds out for their afternoon walk, and there were light flakes of snow. At teatime when I looked out of the window it had snowed properly, not deep, but a proper fall, covering all the surrounding roads. Fortunately, that has thawed in todays sunshine. Last night when I took the hounds out for their walk before bedtime, the moon was full, and even though it was cloudy, it cast a light which together with the snow, made it almost as light as day. I was able to see the surrounding hillsides, right to the top and the other side of the river too. Magical.

Mike flew to the UK yesterday morning, so it's me and the hounds keeping warm together. Mike is keeping his eye on the weather forecast, and told me it is forecast for -20 at the weekend!

Thank you for all your good wishes regarding Rufus. The vet gave him some painkillers, and he seems comfortable. He has a very healthy appetite, his coat is soft and healthy. He doesn't appear to be ill at all. He's usually on the sofa next to me when I'm on the computer. I have to type one handed as he objects when I stop stroking him.

Thank you also for your birthday wishes for my grandson. When I talked to him on the phone, he was most impressed when I told him that people from all round the world wished him a happy birthday.

Mike has the camera with him. So I've been looking to see what photos I can use while he's away. I have one or two already lined up for future posts.

Well it's coming up to afternoon walk time. I need to make sure I get out with the hounds while the sun is still shining. At the moment they are all enjoying an afternoon snooze. Hope you are staying warm where you are.



View from a Train Window

We flew through the dark,

being followed by the sunrise,

to land at Edinburgh airport,

still in the dark.

By the time

I reached Edinburgh city centre,

it was light.

I didn't have too long to wait before I caught the train.

It was the first time I got the camera out.

I missed photographing Edinburgh Zoo,

where two Giant Pandas had arrived on Sunday.

I also missed photographing

a camp in a park right in the middle of the city centre.

But I got to photograph

the big wheel that you see in the first photo.

It is part of the Christmas festivities along with

a Christmas Market.

I remember visiting Edinburgh a few winters ago

with a friend and my daughter.

My friend suggested we had a ride on the big wheel.

My daughter declined,

(sensibly).

Once at the top,

my friend was having seconds thought too!

As Mike drove me to the airport this morning,

he commented that we were fortunate that there was no snow and ice.

But that was when we were in the valley.

To get to the airport,

we have to drive up a series of hairpin bends,

continually climbing to get out of the valley.

As we continued away from the valley,

we could see snow on the road and either side of it.

We were so surprised that we didn't recognise what it was at first!

But there wasn't as much snow as you see in the next few pictures,

taken from the train window.

The sun was shining too!

It looked lovely

and I couldn't resist taking some photos.

You can see the reflection on the glass in the next picture,

and a blurryness of the trees.

But the train stopped for a while a bit further on,

so I snapped away.

We're on the move again for this next shot.

It's lovely countryside.

It's in the lowlands of Scotland.

But as we crossed the border into England,

the snow had gone.

I found it colder than what I've been used to.

I met my sister at her workplace in the library,

and once she finished work,

we had a walk through the town.

She had some shopping to do.

We made our way to the cathedral.

Where the crypt sells some nice warming soup and cheesy soda bread.

Thanks to my niece

for the use of her computer.

Hopefully,

I will have more photos for you tomorrow.

It's a good way for Mike to see what I've been doing.

Anticipate Precipitate

Tomorrow,

I fly to Edinburgh

to see this young man,

my grandson,

and his mother.

Here she is

taking a photo of

me taking a photo of her,

on my last visit to the UK.

I also hope to see my son.

But I don't seem to have a photo of him from my last visit.

Well I do,

it's just that my daughter is on them all,

and she won't like me posting them.

I will be going to the quayside

in Newcastle upon Tyne,

and crossing this bridge

to visit

The Baltic.

That's the building on the left of those over the river.

The Turner Prize is being exhibited there.

The prize was awarded today to Martin Boyce.

It will be interesting to view the exhibits.

I haven't been to the Turner Prize exhibition before.

But I have heard quite a lot about previous

Turner Prize exhibitions.

On my last visit to the quayside,

two men stopped to ask me what this building is.

I told them that it is called the Sage

and is a music venue.

They were very impressed by it.

Well, it was May when I last visited the UK.

and the bluebells were flowering.

If I remember correctly,

the weather was pretty poor

the whole time I was there.

I think my flight got delayed on the way back

and I had to spend a few extra days there.

But the weather didn't improve.

This year seems to have flown by.

But some things don't change.

The UK had some of it's first snow of the season,

and it's turned very cold.

I had better pack some warm clothes.

Maybe I'll get some snow pics while I'm there.

Just as long as I manage to get back home

to Mike and the hounds.

 

Proper Snow at Last

I've been watching all the snow reports from the UK

and hoping that Mike would make it back okay,

which he did.

Thank goodness!

Yesterday we took a walk along the river as usual

and saw that the level of the river was high.

It was raining steady, and what snow we had

was thawing.

Today when we took our usual route to the river,

we found our path flooded.

Not only the path

but a large expanse of area

was under water.

I've shown the view below before

when people have been waiting for a boat.

Now I know why the benches, bins and playground are removed over winter!

Last night,

it snowed properly,

making everything very pretty.

So after the hounds had finished their walk,

I went back out and had a walk through the allotments near to our house.

And snapped away.

Well I had been missing out on all that snow

everyone has been experiencing in the UK.

I wonder what tomorrow will bring?



Snowy Fells

As promised,

here are some photos from a trip to

The Lake District

that I took with my sister

on the first day of April.

It was particularly spectacular

as it had snowed overnight

making it a winter wonderland

on the fells.

We went to my favourite lake,

Ullswater,

then on to

Derwentwater.

It was very cold,

but pretty.

The photo above is looking over to Skiddaw.

Finishing off by

Bassenthwaite.

It was lovely to get into the Lakes

and for once the sun was shining.

What a Difference a Day Makes

Or a week,

or a month,

or a season.

Though I'm not sure that it is Spring here

in our part of Sweden yet.

Mike was reading that for it to be proclaimed to be Spring in Sweden

the temperatures have to be above freezing for 7 consecutive days and nights.

Half of our garden is still covered in snow

though we have had some lovely sunny, warm weather earlier this week.

Underneath the pine tree in the garden, where the snow receded first,

I saw the first spring flowers in bloom.

Some crocus.

Four little purple flowers, still in bud, unlike the ones you see here.

The camera is still broken.

So the photos I'm posting were taken in 2007.

We were here then.

There's still plenty of ice around making interesting patterns.

I wish the camera was working.

There's been some interesting snow sculptures that have been forming in the snow walls along the side of the small forest roads.

In some places where the snow is still lying on the forest floor,

pine needles have dropped in abundance.

The snow has melted away leaving patterns in the snow.

It looks as though someone has placed the pine needles to make the patterns.

They look very pretty and unexpected.

Earlier this week,

Mike went shopping

and he bought me a bowl of minature narcissus,

similiar to the ones below.

But the ones he bought me are a different variety,

they are taller and more slender.

Very elegant sitting on our coffee table.

I think he thought I needed cheering up.

Can you tell

I miss not having a working camera?

I don't post as often.

I will have to resort to using more of our archive photos

and hope that we have some for every eventuality.

It will be an interesting challenge.

The clouds cleared tonight as we walked the dogs allowing us a glimpse of the moon.

We missed seeing it last night when it was full because of the cloud.

The thermometer reads one degree.

Racing Fun

Race One

One dog or two?
Well there are two tails.

Neck and neck.

Jewel takes the lead!


Race Two

Here comes Jewel leading again.

Here come the boys.

Paddy then Rufus.

They have some catching up to do.

Paddy leaps ahead.

Here comes Jewel round again.

Can you see the boys in the background taking a short cut past the tree?

Jewel wins again!

Amazing

A BIG THANK YOU TO BIG CAT FOR HOSTING BLOGTOBERFEST.

It was an amazing idea and it's certainly encouraged me to blog most days. It's been lovely meeting everyone involved in it. So well done to Big Cat. A great idea and one she is going to repeat next year, when I'm sure it will be even bigger.

Something else that's amazing is the snow we woke up to today. Ten inches overnight.

As I was saying yesterday we woke to a similiar snowfall here two years ago to the very day.

But these pictures were taken today.

We're not sure whether the dogs have seen snow before.

Jewel was very excited, pirouetting at the end of her lead and launching herself into midair. It was difficult walking with her as she would be okay for a while and then she would just take off forgetting she was on the end of a lead. We were likely to fall flat on our face at any moment, as I did a couple of weeks ago. My wrist still hasn't recovered.

Rufus wasn't too sure about it to begin with but soon started to appreciate it.

Paddy was noncholent at first but soon took to running around in it, as they all did.

Paddy chasing Jewel.

Paddy being a snow angel.

Hope you're enjoying the weather wherever you are. Have a good weekend.

Lynne