Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Snow



You'll have to indulge me with this post, readers in North America and, indeed, other parts of England. And Wales, and Scotland. Our snowfall has been minimal in comparison to yours, probably, but nonetheless in these parts it's a rare event. I'm not working till Thursday so can enjoy it all as I prowl around the garden with a camera.

A touch of cabin fever mid-evening yesterday. Home alone after an exceptionally social and stimulating and surprising weekend. Restless. The urge to pull on boots and go out into the fields, into the snowy darkness, to explore. Sloth overcame courage and I surfed the net instead.

*****

The male blackbird is getting braver in approaching the patio, the one spot in the garden that is free from snow and where I can scatter crumbs. He flies off with staccato cries of alarm when the the cat approaches the French window - just a few feet separate them through the double glazing. Suddenly my elderly cat is transformed from the peaceable beast that I know. He crouches, every muscle on alert. Teeth chattering. Pupils dilated.

My companion. Still a hunter after all these years. His instincts remain as sharp as ever. Does the same apply to his owner who is also, in her own way, ageing?





10 comments:

Relatively Retiring said...

Well, that's the Christmas cards sorted!

Anonymous said...

Glad you're enjoying it, but I know what you mean re cabin fever! The rescue cat is appalled as he stalks shoulder-high in snow; NW1 was never like this, he grumbles.

Jan

Zhoen said...

Oh, I love hearing about weather anywhere. Been watching for the BBC site photos. You got a pile.

Nothing like a riled cat. I think we all have it in us, right to the end, given enough provocation.

herhimnbryn said...

Wonderful pictures mm. I especially like the one of the bird tracks next to your own.

We have been getting many snowy uk images on our evening news over here. I WANT SNOW. I WANT SNOW!

I want to wake up to that soft silence and open my curtains to that particular snow light. I want to smell that slightly metallic scent of a snow covered garden.

PLEASE SEND SNOW.........

Dale said...

Lovely.

Oh, I think you've still got plenty of predator in you. Nothing safe about you, not really.

Everydaythings said...

Weve been having regular updates here - and since I'm from the same place as herhimnbryn it tallies...lol! We also get the odd touch of cabin fever believe it or not when its so hot we dont go out much but obviously for the opposite reason of yours.
LOVE LOVE the wall plaque... its quite similar to mine - love it!!!

leslee said...

It's beautiful, isn't it? Even with our overload of snow this year, when I walked at lunchtime yesterday through the wildlife sanctuary, it was magical. (Helps that it was sunny, too!) The wind was blowing fairy dust through the pines.

mm said...

RR; heh! You have a point.

Jan: The cats don't like it, do they?

Zhoen: I know I have. Got it in me, I mean.

HHB: Wish you were here. Really. You would love it.

Dale: You may be right! But I was meaning all kinds of natural instincts ...

mm said...

WW: I can imagine. I remember heat and the inability to move that it can produce.

Leslee: Ah yes, the fairy dust. that sums it up exactly.

Anonymous said...

Amazing pictures, mm. And such a lovely counterbalance to the images of chaos we've been getting on the news.