Some Winter Joy

July is our main month of winter.

I was reading we should consciously look for the beauty that can be found in each season, so I went looking.

I discovered the intricate tangle of branches on this mature leafless silver birch.

Daphne odora, my favourite July flower, is now in full bloom.

There is joy in seeing the sun shine again, as the fog bank rolls away.

Some mornings there are dramatic sunrises.

Then there are days when the sun never shines and it rains and rains and rains, and I can curl up inside with a good book.

On some days though, winter gives us clear blue skies and mellow sunshine. 

Appreciating each season is great, but let us also remember to search each day to find something beautiful in our life.

Margaret xx 

Spring Will Come

 

Jonquils flowering in mid-winter are a wonderful reminder that Spring will come.  I photographed these ones at the entrance to a cousin’s farm, when visiting them this week.

The day was dull and colourless, as the majority of our days seem to be at the moment (thankfully, the company was great!).  

Today has also been dreary, a good day to curl up inside and potter around not doing much.

The scent of white daphne fills the living room, from a small sprig I picked from my cousin’s garden.

I do like these little reminders that winter does not last forever 😊

Margaret.

 

Frosty Mornings

 

This week an icy “polar blast” from Antarctica has swept up the country, bringing snow to many places and colder temperatures to everyone.

The last few days it has given us heavy frosts in the morning, but yesterday (and forecast for today) is fine and sunny even if it is still cold.  I can handle frosts when they are followed by a nice day!

There is one advantage to cold weather and that is being able to really enjoy a steaming bowl of hot soup. 

Homemade Minestrone Soup

Soup makes the perfect lunch meal with a few Toast Soldiers on the side.  Hearty and warming, it is hard to beat on a cold winter’s day.

(Apologies to all those suffering the intense heat of summer at the moment – soup would be the last thing you want to think about!)

Have a happy week,

Margaret 😊

Mid Winter Contentment

Normally I am not a big fan of winter.  It is too cold, too wet, too dreary, and all I want to do is hibernate and wish it would go away.  This year I am trying to appreciate each season and what it has to offer, and I am finding myself quite content with my situation.

The sun rises each morning and shines in my bedroom windows to welcome me to a new day.

Droplets of heavy dew sparkle in the morning sun.  No frosts here, like Otago had this morning.  There were some beautiful pictures on the News of the hoar frost many places experienced.  It looked cold but would have made for some amazing photos!

Each time I step outside I am assailed with the heavenly scent of hyacinths.

Now it is night and we are enjoying sitting by the fire and feeling cosy and warm.  Teenie thinks we have lit the fire just for her!

Lots of things to be thankful for as we settle into winter J

Margaret.

Winter Solstice

Today has been the Shortest Day, a turning point for the year.  Traditionally our weather will now get colder and wetter, but the days will also be growing longer.

When we lived on a farm I used to enjoy winter visits from these beautiful birds.

White-faced Herons are often locally called Blue Herons because of their bluish colouration.  They are an Australian species and first arrived in New Zealand during the 1940s.

This one decided it had had enough of its photo-shoot and was making a dignified exit.

Enjoy your weekend J

Margaret

LINKED TO Saturday's Critters

The First Day Of Winter

Today is officially the first day of winter.  And, yes, our weather is a bit grey and bleak and damp and a little cool, with showers passing over at regular intervals, so I guess it is winter!  We don’t normally get very cold until after the shortest day, but that is only three weeks away so Winter Proper is very close.  Not that we experience “winter” like so many around the world do.

Berries on the Idesia polycarpa tree

Apart from not getting outside to get my daily dose of Vitamin D, this day has been pretty much normal.  It is a public holiday (Queen’s Birthday weekend) so most places are closed, but I have been happy pottering around at home. 

The sheets have been changed, the house tidied, and I’ve had a long phone conversation with a friend.  I counted seven pukeko (swamp hen) in the paddock behind us, along with several starlings and a couple of thrushes poking around among the grass now the cattle have been moved out.

Gathering storm clouds

I visited my youngest grand-daughter yesterday, for her seventh birthday – she was thrilled with the soft fluffy pink blanket I bought her, but more than a little dismayed that all the glitter on her card kept falling off onto everything else! 

We had a minor earthquake while I was there, this one centred near New Plymouth.  Several have been felt near Levin lately, and one wonders what is moving around beneath us to cause these.  Although we should be used to them by now!

Warm woolly coats, perfect for winter weather

At home here, we are receiving some dreadful reports of riots, looting, and curfews throughout the United States.  It seems the whole world has gone crazy lately, what with the pandemic and now this.  I hope all my readers there are keeping safe and well.

Margaret.