Sunset getting later

Posted on January 22, 2021 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Dark, Flooding, Light, Rain, Sun, Sunset, Time, Winter2 Comments

At the start of January it was getting dark around 4.40pm and we were having about eight hours of light. Now it’s staying light till after five. I feel like a weight is lifting slightly. Like the edges of a blanket being pulled up and light seeping in around the edges.

The clouds have obscured the sunset for the last few days. We’ve had almost a months rain in a day in some places in the UK with storm Christoph causing flooding in Wales and Northern England. We have avoided the worst here, but twenty miles or so away the town of Northwich in Cheshire is flooded in places and the river Severn is close to flooding over.

Snow above Saltaire

Posted on January 9, 2021January 9, 2021 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Church, Cold, Hills, Landscape, Life, Moors, Photo, Saltaire, Winter, YorkshireLeave a comment

Yellow Church spire

In the valley

River runs below

Snow above on the hills

Yorkshire view

Deep country

Saltaire splendour.

Photo courtesy of my friend Tim Hargreaves.

Snow

Posted on January 2, 2021 Posted in Cat, UncategorizedTagged beast from the East, Life, Photo, Poem, Poetry, Snow, tin cat, Weather, Winter, yellow catLeave a comment

It came again…

Startled the cat

Turned it yellow with fright.

Another beast from the East?

That’s what they are saying.

Cold comfort

In a cold world

He comes home when I whistle

Posted on December 30, 2020 Posted in Cat, UncategorizedTagged Cat, Cold, Eating, Fun, In the garden, Life, Love, Mooching, Outdoor cat, Sleeping on the bed, Whistle, WinterLeave a comment

The outdoor cat is now more of an outside cat. I call his name (he remains anonymous here) and whistle him and he comes in. I have to wait a few minutes while he mooches round the garden. He woke me up this morning by lying on me in bed for a cuddle, then up he got and slipped downstairs. I followed to let him out ( my indoor cats) also anonymous, have been out a couple of times but end up hiding under garden benches. They are a lot smaller and I think would get picked on by the ginger Tom who also patrols our garden.

After half an hour and a decaff coffee to warm me up, I whistled him about three times and he came back in from the cold and dark. He’s eating biscuits at the moment, having his fill. Next? He might go out to mooch again, but I hope he stays in.

By the way, I don’t know how many people whistle their cats, but it seems to carry better. I’ve done it since I was a child I developed some notes along the line of a ‘cat where are you?’ tune….ah he’s gone back upstairs…. Bye

Brr

Posted on December 28, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Cold, Frozen, Landscape, Layout app, Photo, Poem, Poetry, Reindeer, Snow, WinterLeave a comment

Reflecting again

Houses climb the hill

Roses and ivy climb the walls

Snow dusted hedges

And bright shining rooves

I can almost hear

Reindeer hooves

Clambering over

Cold icy snow.

Imagine a landscape

Frozen below.

We had snow

Posted on December 28, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Cold, Five am, Not much, Photis, Slush...., Snow, Tired, Two inches deep, WinterLeave a comment

Five am and the sky was orange. The snow was dumped on us. Only a couple of inches, but you don’t know how disruptive that can be in a country that doesn’t get much of the white stuff in the winter.

As our street lamps change from sodium light to white led lamps I wonder if that orange glow will fade and we will get silvery white instead? The sound is deafened by the snow, everything is muffled. I think I can hear sleighbells…..

Seasons greetings

Posted on December 27, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Autumn, Blooming, Life, Poem, Poetry, Seasins, Spring, Summer, Time, Weather, Winter, WorldLeave a comment

Seasons come and seasons go

Sometimes wind and gales blow

Winter comes the cold is sharp

Spring time and the singing lark.

Fills the world with sweet delight

But the spring soon takes its flight

Summer time comes round again

Sometimes hot, sometimes with rain.

Flowers bloom and butterflies flit

Through the world all brightly lit

Later days get old again

Leaves they fall in autumn rain

Waiting till the end of year

Darkness comes but no fear

Always after winter comes

spring arrived with glorious blooms.

Sunlight

Posted on December 26, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Earth, Ellipse, Life, Orbit, Position of sun, Sky, Summer, Sun, Time, Tipped, WinterLeave a comment

Sunlight streaming through the window Shines on Christmas cards and books, ornaments my sewing kit. As the sun rises it also travels south in the sky in winter. Then in the afternoon it appears to move downwards and West. So because of the way the earth is tipped on its axis the position on the sky moves in arcs that tip further south in the winter and further north in summer. So the sun appears overhead eventually.

If the Earth was rotating on a vertical axis at 90° to the plane of the solar system, then day length would stay the same all over the world. 12 hours day and 12 hours night. There would be no seasons. There would probably be no poles as all parts of the earth would receive the same amount of heat from the sun.

Instead the tip of the axis means that the day length changes over the years. So at the solstices the earth has turned to have its poles either closest or furthest apart from the sun. It’s also complicated by the earth travelling in an elliptical orbit round the sun. In the summer in the North of the world the sun is actually slightly further away from the earth than in the winter.

Anyway enough of celestial mechanics. Don’t get me started on the moon! Happy Boxing day. X

Standard Fushias

Posted on December 22, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Cold, Flowers, Fushias, Gardening, Mid december, Outdoor plants, Standard Fushias, Stoke-on-Trent, Weather, WinterLeave a comment

Outside Portmeirion pottery shop in Stoke. Standard Fushias are still in flower on 23.12.20,some of the leaves are looking a bit sad, but it’s testament to how warm it has been over the few months. My hubby found a ladybird on him last night after he had come in out of the garden. I dropped it off in a flowerpot so it would have somewhere to shelter.

The crazy temperatures that global warming is causing mean that things are staying in flower longer, but there are not many insects around to pollenate them. I pray humanity does work to regulate the worlds temperatures.

Tree by river

Posted on December 13, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Cold, December, Flood, Photo, Rain, River, River Trent, Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Tree, Trees, Walk, Water, WinterLeave a comment

Tree or trees? One limb broken. The grey path reflects the grey sky. Water rushes down the river, brown and muddy. In speight, almost overcoming the banks. The rain is trapped on the pathways, the grass sodden and squelchy. I walked along there this afternoon as part of a long walk. I can feel the wet mud between my toes overtopping my shoes, pulling at their soles. Water is like glue. Stronger than gravity. My feet lift out of the shoes as they lift from the ground. My feet still feel cold and are aching hours afterwards. Perhaps I need a bowl of hot water to soak them in. I wish I’d got some bathsalts! Time to rest.

Mallaband-Brown

Tag: Winter