Would You Like Some Sun \With Your Snow?

It was lovely to have some sun with the snow today.

So we took advantage of it and walked down to the lake.

I got the dogs to pose with Mike.

Not always easy as they are often looking down, or one is behind the other.

But today they could hear voices somewhere and it kept their attention

making for a much better photo.

Until Jewel decided she'd had enough.

Anyone who knows Jewel, knows that she will lie down whenever we stand for more than a minute.

It was one of the things we noticed about her whenever we took her for a walk from the kennels where she was waiting for her 'forever home'.

Even the snow doesn't stop her.

Notice the bright blue sky?

Snowy Walk

We took a walk with the dogs today.

(We take several walks with the dogs everyday.)
Today it was quite snowy in the forest.

Our walk took us down the hill to the road where we could just catch glimpses of the lake through the trees.

The lake is completely frozen.

It is 12 miles which is about 20 kilometres long.

Once back at our torpet, the dogs had a run round.

Before disappearing off up the track to our neighbours house,

the little devils!

Mike had to go and fetch them back.

Of course after that little escapade they were tired.

And they've been in their beds ever since!

Next time they run off

we will send them to bed

without their supper!

Mike's making their dinner now, just in case you thought we would do a thing like that.

As if!

Fun in the Snow

Sarah was asking if we still had snow here.

It has been snowing for the past 3 days.

This morning we woke and saw that it had been snowing overnight

and now the trees are covered in snow again,

always a pretty sight.

So after making sure the birds,

and the squirrel

had something to eat,

we had some play time with the dogs in the snow....

So, yes Sarah, we still have snow here in Sweden.

And the dogs LOVE it!

Mixed Bag

Thank you for all your lovely comments and good wishes while I've been away and especially for your comments regarding my grandson's 4th birthday.

I left a cold Sweden -14 degrees centigrade when I left, brrrr...
and flew to a cold UK!
Can you believe it, there was snow at Stansted?

I spent a night at Stansted because my connecting flight to Newcastle upon Tyne was first thing in the morning, and there was a further light dusting of snow overnight!

After a couple of days in the north east of England, (I stayed with a friend in Newcastle), I travelled west into Cumbria. I took the scenic route over Alston Moor.

Always a lovely route.
It was still cold but at least the sun was shining a little.

Snow appeared the further west I travelled.

But not as much as I had left in Sweden.

I stayed with my sister and her family in a lovely Eden Valley village.
Approaching the village I came across this chap.

A buzzard, quite common in the valley.

And this little chap, a robin, was taken from their window. Quite common in the UK and used a lot on Christmas cards, but I can't remember seeing one in Sweden.

The weather was poor for just about all of my visit.

Cold.

It felt colder to me than it does in Sweden but it wasn't.

It rained.

This is the River Eden which flows through my sister's village, it's well over the banks

At the weekend we ventured into The Lake District to one of my favourite lakes.

Ullswater.

This time it was windy.

Very windy as well as cold.

I was hoping to get some good shots here at least.
But although there was some low cloud which I hoped would add to the atmoshere it didn't translate to the picture.

Shame.

We had a family time at my sisters and celebrated my grandson's birthday when he and his mum joined us for a couple of days.

We had a fun time.

Then it was time to return to the north east.

The weather continued to be miserable.

And I only ventured out for some photos when I went as far as Heddon on the Wall.

A village close to where my children live.

I was hoping to get out much more on my visit and take more photos than I have.

But the weather conspired against me.

But I did get to see family and catch up with some friends, unfortunately not all.

The time I spent with family more than made up for the weather being miserable.

And although I didn't take many photos out and about,

the camera was full of photos when I got back,

mostly of my grandson!

Snow or no Snow?

Tomorrow I leave the cold wintry retreat that we have here in Sweden and head off over here.







Visiting family and friends.
I'm going over for a special occasion, my grandson's 4th birthday! I'm looking forward to seeing them all again. Mike and the dogs will be staying in Sweden. It's a bit difficult making these sort of journeys with 3 large dogs. It takes a bit of organising!

So whilst I will be catching up with family and friends I won't be calling in here. Unless I can borrow my sister's computer but that won't be until the weekend.

So wishing you all a happy two weeks, (I'm back late on 20th January), and I'll catch up with you then!

I wonder if there will be snow in Northumberland and Cumbria?

Chasing the Sun

I wanted to go to the village to get some photos whilst the sun was out.

So I left the packing away of Christmas decorations until I'd caught the sun, (some things don't wait, much as I'd like them to).






It's one of two villages close to us. We usually bring our visitors for a walk along the lakeside. It's so lovely, whatever the weather.

We were stood on the lake here at midnight New Year's Eve, waiting for

midnight,

and the fireworks.

It was a first for us,

to see the dawn of the New Year here on the lake.

The approach to the lake was quite spectacular and unexpected.

Large outdoor candles lined either side of the road leading into the village.

People carried flaming torches as they walked to the lake and there was a primitive air about the proceedings as we joined them in our walk onto the lake.

The church bells ringing at midnight gave the signal for the fireworks to begin.

The bangs of the fireworks competed in sound with the repeated pops of the bottles being opened in celebration of the New Year.

The fireworks were much like other displays that I have seen.

Perhaps shorter than most.

But it was the place,

standing on the lake,

with candles all around,

foreign voices,

new friends,

that gave it a sense of occasion.

This lake is used a lot for recreational purposes once it is frozen. There were not many people out on it today despite the sunshine. Maybe because it was -20 degrees centigrade. It was nearly too cold for me to take photos! My fingers were freezing, even as I tried to take the photos with my mitts on!

The surrounding countryside was just as lovely.

But what I want to know is, how come when all the Christmas decorations have been stored away for another year, I always find one that has been overlooked?

Happy New Year

Happy New Year.

And because I said I would, some photos from our walk on Tuesday.

Mike and the dogs on the lake.

This is an island, (usually).

And some sunshine.

A bit blurry

because I wanted it that way!

Not so Ho Ho Ho

Well the little minx has been at it again.

That's what we call Jewel.

Before Christmas she was attracted to baubles. And on a number of occasions stole some out of bowls. She even crunched through some, but fortunately she came to no harm. They must have been the plastic ones we had, and not the old glass ones.

We called her Pica pica for a while beause that is the Latin name for Magpie, and as we know, Magpies love anything shiney.

Then she took a fancy to a small Santa that we had had for years. It was on a long piece of elastic which when you jiggled it, it said,

'Ho ho ho, Merry Christmas,' in a funny sort of voice.

Mike started playing with it with Jewel and she used to get very excited. It couldn't be left out anywhere as she would take it to her bed and chew it.

The dogs do have their own toys, which they can take to their bed and chew as much as they like.

A couple of days ago Jewel took the Merry Christmas Santa off a shelf

(where Mike thought it was out of reach).

And the Santa is no more!

So no more, I don't have a photo of him.

Today when I came in from feeding the birds

Jewel had a Christmas rabbit family on her bed.
It's something I bought in a January sale when I was expecting my grandchild.

I bought it on a whim.

Nobody seems to like it particularly, maybe because it would be more suited to Easter.

Anyway I was attracted to it.

So was Jewel it seems.

So much so that she chewed it and bit one of their heads off!

Poor thing.

But it is easily sewn on again, and maybe I could get it looking more suitable for springtime and Easter.

With maybe an Easter bonnet?

And holding an Easter egg or two?

Later it was such a lovely day that we took a drive down to the village and the lake.

Where I took some photos.

It was so lovely,

I might post those photos tomorrow.

But here is Jewel out for her walk today, after she's chewed the bunny's head off,

watching a woodpecker!

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.

Happy Christmas

Happy Christmas from Bun Mountain Cottage.