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With the bad weather keeping us indoors I find I have had time to catch up with reading my e-mails and my friends’ posts and to write another one of my own.
Before the snow arrived I made another attempt at photographing our hazel catkins and found a few female flowers as well.
My current camera is not at all good at close-ups or macro shots and so this is the best I can do.
I think I am going to have to give this up!
On Monday we had snow showers all day. Stronger spells of sunshine at midday melted all that had fallen on the driveway and paths but didn’t shift the snow on the flowerbeds and grass. Richard took Elinor to Norwich for her acupuncture appointment and found that there had been no snow there at all. The fountain outside the hotel where Elinor has her acupuncture was spectacularly frozen.
I had a very quick walk round the house to see that all was well. It was much too cold to go any further.
This was their swan-song; they are now shrivelled and frozen.
I was chilled now so I made my way back to the front door passing the bell on the way.
We had a lot of snow on Tuesday night and on Wednesday morning I had to phone my mother to cancel our usual shopping trip. She was fine and had all she needed for the time being but gave me a short list of things she would like fairly soon.
There had been no wind overnight and snow was heaped on telephone wires and windowsills and every tiny branch and twig.
We have stayed at home while the winds have picked up and blown most of the snow from the trees and caused deep drifts everywhere. The roads to the other villages and our local towns are all blocked. The depth of the snow in the garden has reduced, not from melting but by being scoured away. We are hoping that we will be able to get to town later this morning before the next snow arrives. We need to buy supplies and collect medication for me and for Mum. Our gas delivery hasn’t arrived and we have nearly run out. I don’t fancy a few days without central heating! We have turned the thermostat down and the water heater off to conserve power.
The joys of living in the countryside!
My music selection today is ‘Song to the Moon’ from Dvorak’s opera Rusalka sung by (I believe) Lucia Popp. I chose this because we have a full moon today.
Thanks for visiting!
Liz said:
Lovely pics Clare. The first few shots made me think of a book I have just finished – The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben – I think you would find it really interesting if you have not already read it. We have been pretty snow-bound here too. It all seemed like quite good fun at first, but as the practicalities of life start to kick in it is more problematic. I very much hope you are able quickly to get back on top of your fuel, meds, food etc so you can go back to enjoying the views! Xxx
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank-you very much, Liz. Still no gas delivery but we are ekeing out what we have left in the tank. The road to one of our towns was cleared yesterday so we managed to do a little shopping (the shops hadn’t had deliveries so not much on the shelves). We collected our medication and slithered back home again. We got to my mother’s house today with difficulty but no medication or milk for her yet. Apart from a neighbour who knocked on her door on Tuesday she hadn’t seen anyone since my visit to her last Saturday! I have The Hidden Life of Trees on my wishlist – thank you for your recommendation! I hope the imminent thaw causes you no problems! xxxx
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Liz said:
Thank you Clare – so far, so good on the thawing front. I hope you have not been affected by the water shortages in the SE?
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank-you, Liz. No we are fortunate here and have had no problems. A cousin of mine in East Sussex has had to queue up for water.
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Liz said:
The whole things sounds such a nightmare. V glad you are not affected.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank-you! My cousin got her water back on this evening.
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Liz said:
Woo hoo! 🙂
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Lynette d'Arty-Cross said:
Lovely photos. 🙂
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank-you very much, Lynette.
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Ste J said:
The fountain looks great! I miss the snow, I hope you get your gas delivery and the chance to properly stretch your legs.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you very much, Ste J. I thought I missed the snow until it arrived and caused problems! If we weren’t so worried about my mother and if we had a full tank of gas to heat the house and power the hob I’d be frolicking in the snow and enjoying it as I used to. We have flooding to look forward to now it is starting to melt!
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Ste J said:
It’s just one thing after another, I will try and send a few degrees your way by wafting my hands in your general direction.
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Clare Pooley said:
You leave the country and miss out on the snowiest and coldest start to March for 50 years or more! It is beginning to warm up now but we are getting floods because of the melt water and the rain! I could still do with a few extra degrees though!
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Ste J said:
Perhaps I was like one of those superhero types, holding the snow back but with the government not giving in to my book demands I left you all to your fate.
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Clare Pooley said:
😀 Gave me such a giggle!
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susanpoozan said:
Do hope the weather lets up enough for you to get your gas and your medication, living in the country has its problems. Loved your lichen pictures even if not the sharpest.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you very much, Susan. We have the medication but not the gas yet!
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susanpoozan said:
I hope it comes today, we are well thawed out by now.
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Clare Pooley said:
It did arrive today and the thaw is progressing nicely too.
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susanpoozan said:
Pleased to hear it, you will be warm inside and out now!
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germac4 said:
I listened to Dvorak’s “Song to the Moon” as I sit looking out at my summer garden in Canberra .( Australia)… and looking at your snowy landscape.. how music has the power to transport us to different worlds. Many thanks.
I hope you can keep warm & that your gas delivery does not take to long!
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you very much! I am imagining your beautiful sunny summer garden!
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margaret21 said:
When the sun finally comes out and summer’s on its way, this post will remind you of the tough time you’re having. With any luck, images like the lichens and the frozen fountain will remain in your memory longer than the thought of those frozen fingers. Good luck with all the deliveries you need to make and receive.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you very much, Margaret. I hope you haven’t had too many problems with the icy weather.
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margaret21 said:
Not problems no. Just cabin fever!
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Clare Pooley said:
Yes! 😮
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Jane Sturgeon said:
It’s lovely to hear how you are all doing down there. The wind is ferocious now and the chill factor breath taking. I hope your gas arrives soon. Much love and hugs flowing to you. xXx ❤ xXx ❤
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you so much, my dear Jane. I hope you are keeping warm and dry – love and hugs for you xx ❤ ❤ xx
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Jane Sturgeon said:
Yes, very blessed with this house, it provides a haven. ❤ Xxxxx ❤
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Clare Pooley said:
Much love and many hugs winging their way to you, my dear friend xxxxxxxx
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Jill Weatherholt said:
Brrr! I’m not a fan of the cold, but your photos are beautiful, Clare. The photo of the frozen fountain is beautiful! Please, be safe! ❤
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you very much, Jill. We are all fine – we even managed to get through the drifts to see my mother today! ❤
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Jill Weatherholt said:
I’m happy to hear you were able to see your mother, Clare. ❤
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Clare Pooley said:
Yes! So am I! ❤
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unionhomestead said:
Hope the gas gets through in time and you’re snug and warm. That fountain photo is a good’n!
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank-you very much, Sharon. I love the fountain photo too – I’m glad my husband thought to take it!
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derrickjknight said:
Richard can’t get out of his drive today! (could you focus from a little distance, then crop and enlarge the selected image?)
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, Derrick. I will have to try that next time. I was in too much of a hurry and only took one shot of each thing I saw which didn’t give me much choice! I hope you are coping with the cold. I haven’t visited your blog for a couple of days (power cuts etc!)
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derrickjknight said:
Sorry about your power cuts
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank-you, Derrick. We have been fine since early Saturday morning. There are more power-cuts in the area today but so far, we still have electricity.
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derrickjknight said:
Fingers crossed
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Clare Pooley said:
🙂
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bitaboutbritain said:
I think the best you can do looks pretty good! I struggle with close-ups and indoor shots. Anyway, yours are great – though made me colder than I am already. Hope your fuel situation is OK. You take care!!
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Clare Pooley said:
You are kind as ever, Mike – thank-you. I hope you are keeping warm – we are fine, though still no gas delivery.
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Ali said:
I love your catkins! I’ve been struggling with close-ups too. I bought one of those macro lenses for my iPhone – can’t use it at all! I can’t seem to find the right camera between iPhone, point-and-shoot and SLR. I suppose they all have their uses, but I wish my iPhone did the lot!
Love a bit of Dvorjak. Am the only one who appreciates, so he is relegated to the car when I am alone!
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank-you very much, Ali. I love Dvorak and can’t imagine anyone not appreciating his music! I had a little Canon point-and-shoot which was fabulous at macro shots but when I had to replace it I found they had changed the camera and the new version wasn’t as good. I wish my eyesight was better too!
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Laurie Graves said:
That’s a lot of snow for your area! Lovely pictures. I especially liked the cockerel. Stay safe and warm. As this Mainer well knows. snowy, slippery roads can be very dangerous.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank-you, Laurie! I am so pleased you liked our cockerel! He is such a refined bird with a tuneful ring – not too loud but audible all over the garden. Needs a lick of springtime paint I think.
The farmers managed to clear many of our local roads with their tractors and we have been to visit my mother at last!
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Laurie Graves said:
Good! Glad things are getting back to normal.
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quietsolopursuits said:
I certainly hope that you don’t have to go without heat or hot water for very long if at all! Since I live in an area that’s used to dealing with large snowfalls, I forget that not every one does. I also hope that you’re able to get out to get your medications and food.
I liked the photos of the witch hazels and catkins, they make it hard to believe that so much snow has fallen on you. The tour of the garden and house did make me realize how cold it is there though, I hope that the weather changes for the better soon.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank-you very much, Jerry. We do get snowfall but not regularly, which is the problem. No local authorities can afford to buy a large snowplough and then have it sitting in a garage for three years out of four. I knew bad weather was coming and had stocked up with plenty of food but not quite enough milk! Richard phoned the gas company and asked for an early delivery but he was sent away with a flea in his ear! We have a smart metre on our gas tank which lets the company know when we need a top up and we were told to wait for the scheduled delivery. Which still hasn’t arrived! Our local farmers have managed to clear many of the drifts and we have been to town to collect our medication and have even got to see my mother today. The thaw has begun and we are waiting for the floods now! 😀
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Annika Perry said:
Clare, dreamy photos of the snow … it’s as if you can hear the hush! Icicles are always fascinating and love the parade of yours along the shed roof. I do hope you get a gas delivery soon … fingers crossed! It’s an absolute must at the moment! Keep warm and hopefully Spring will come soon!!
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank-you very much, Annika. Hope you are still cosy xx
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Annika Perry said:
I am but now I miss the snow!! Hope you got the gas delivery?!
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Clare Pooley said:
Thanks Annika! Yes, we got half a tank delivered this morning. Calor have had problems with their own supplies so we have been rationed. Half a tank will keep us going for months! A miserable afternoon with pouring rain and sad patches of sloppy snow. Yuk!
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Ari said:
Your photos are always so striking. That frozen fountain is Awesome!!
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank-you very much, Ari! I’m so glad my husband saw the fountain.
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Nathan Rogers said:
Cold but pretty!
I have about a thousand photos of lichen too- so interesting and always different. Lovely pictures.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thanks so much, Nathan!
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New Hampshire Garden Solutions said:
It’s hard to imagine everything grinding to a halt because of snow but obviously it does happen in places. I’m surprised that the town doesn’t have at least one snowplow on hand, just in case. I hope you were able to finally get out for supplies!
That’s too bad about the witch hazel blossoms but they do gamble each spring. The ones we have here are used to snow and cold so they just wait until it passes and go on blooming.
Even with a macro lens lichens are tough to get a good shot of. I often take 20 or more just to get one blog worthy photo.
I hope it warms up for you soon!
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Clare Pooley said:
Thanks very much, Allen. We are just starting to thaw and have been warned of possible flooding! The witch-hazel has produced a couple of new flowers which I am so pleased about. Regarding the lichens – I was in a hurry and only took one photo of each group which was a bit of a chance especially as my eyesight isn’t good enough to see if my shots are in focus until I get them on my lap-top. I intend going back and trying again when the snow disappears.
Our local towns aren’t big enough and don’t have the money to buy a plough and then risk it sitting in a garage for a couple of years doing nothing. The towns rely on gritters putting enough salt on the roads before the snowfall begins. The paths are not gritted so people walk in the roads. Only a few of the larger roads outside of the towns are gritted – the rest of us have to go without and wait until a local farmer can drive through with a tractor to clear deep snow and drifts. Of course, no-one has snow tyres and many young people are totally inexperienced in driving in ice and snow. This all adds up to a very interesting time!
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New Hampshire Garden Solutions said:
I hope you don’t see any flooding. I’m sure the snowdrifts were enough excitement for a while.
I know what you mean about seeing lichens. Some are so very small and I have trouble with them too. Sometimes I’m just shooting blind and hoping for the best.
I don’t know how you deal with the snow situation; it sounds terrible. Everyone here has to get used to driving in snow again after the first storm but we do so quickly and have plenty of opportunities for practice in coming months.
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Clare Pooley said:
Yes, practice is what we all need here but not much chance of it yet again!
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tootlepedal said:
I hope that you can get through this without too much trouble. Living in the country can have its downside.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank-you, Tom. We visited town on Friday and were able to get to my mother’s house today.
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Lisa G. said:
I wish you enjoyment of the fairyland, Clare! But also hope you can get out tomorrow and that you don’t lose power.
The other day I picked up an unfamiliar dry leaf in the driveway, and looked it up at work. Horse chestnut! I know nothing about most trees, and don’t know if there is one of those on our street or if it just blew over here from who-knows-where.
“Spectacularly frozen” is the perfect term for that fountain.! 🙂
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank-you very much, Lisa. We managed to get to town on Friday to collect our medication and get some of Mum’s shopping. We even managed to get through the drifts to see my mother today! The thaw has started which is a bit sad as I haven’t had a chance to enjoy the snow, being so worried about my mother. Our gas still hasn’t arrived!
I wonder if you’ll ever find out where that horse-chestnut leaf came from! When I was young one of the special signs of spring was horse-chestnut twigs with their ‘sticky buds’. Everyone brought them to school and jars were filled with catkins and twigs. When horse-chestnut leaves fall from the trees they leave behind a horse-shoe mark on the twig.
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avian101 said:
I hope you get your gas delivery soon Clare. I thought that your winter was over already. Take care my sweet lady. 🙂
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank-you so much, dear HJ! We thought winter was over too!
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KerryCan said:
Your British weather has been in our US news! I hope you kept your heating throughout–being snowbound is kind of fun, if you’re cozy and warm . . .
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank-you very much, Kerry. We have managed to make the dribble of gas last so far, by turning the thermostat right down and turning off the water heater. There has been no delivery so far. We tried to get a delivery made early and phoned the company well in advance. They told us we had to wait for the scheduled delivery which they haven’t been able to make. Very annoying!
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quercuscommunity said:
Interesting times. I now remember why I took the decision to move into town 30 years ago. Every stinking summer I regret being here, every cold snap I remind myself that we have shops, a chip shop and a doctor within a ten minute walk. (It used to be a five minute walk but the doctor moved, and I’m not as quick as I used to be).
I hope your gas man calls soon.
Looking on the bright side, that’s a great fountain photo and you have given me a great phrase to roll round in my head – No Snow in Norwich.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank-you, Simon. The gas-man delivered half a tankful to us this morning, as all customers are being rationed. We now have enough fuel to keep us going for months! We are usually well-prepared for bad weather but the gas company couldn’t deliver when they said they would because their own stocks are low. We managed really well, I think and never ran out of gas completely and though the house was much cooler than we like it we weren’t really cold at any time.
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quercuscommunity said:
Good to hear, though it’s annoying that they wouldn’t deliver when you first asked.
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Clare Pooley said:
Well, yes. But all is forgiven now 😉
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quercuscommunity said:
Forgiveness is a virtue, and it’s easier than bearing a grudge (I’m an expert at that). 🙂
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Clare Pooley said:
😀
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Lavinia Ross said:
Those are beautiful late winter scenes, Clare. I especially love the witch-hazel blooms!
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank-you very much, Lavinia!
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Aquileana said:
Such a dreamy atmosphere. I think snowy landscapes and views are really poetic… I don´t know if I just see it that way because it is unusual for me as I never snows where I live (not in my province, I mean… but yes in the Southern part of my country!) 😉 I love the photographs you have taken… Soon it will be Spring for you, I am sure you are looking forward to it 🙂 Sending love and wishing you a happy weekend dear Clare 😀 ❤
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank-you so much, dear Aquileana! Yes, I am looking forward to spring but I do love the snow as well. If we have heating and enough food in the house it can be quite nice to be snowed in! I love the special light when it snows and the muffled silence is wonderful! Have a lovely weekend, my dear friend xx ❤ ❤ xx I hope you are well xx
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Abhijan Barua said:
Reblogged this on Nutshell.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank-you very much, Abhijan!
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Charlotte Hoather said:
You got the snow quite bad, London ground to a halt with much less. The fountain picture is great. I love Song to the Moon, it’s one of my favourite sings and always a good song to have in my repertoire in concert.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank-you very much for your comment, Charlotte. We still have some snow in ditches and in heaps at the side of the lane!
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Cynthia Reyes said:
What remarkable weather you’re having there, Clare! One week warm enough for Richard to paint the gates, the next week so cold that the small pond is frozen. Thanks for the round-up there and I hope it gets milder soon.
We have had milder days this past week and sunshine, and I’m hoping it stays that way. I went to Toronto downtown today and saw several witch hazels blooming. It was a delightful sight, since nothing’s blooming where I am — though the lilac tree buds are fat and look ready to burst open.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank-you very much, Cynthia. It would be good to think that spring had arrived but we have been told we have another very cold weekend ahead of us. What with the snow melt (and it hasn’t all gone yet) and the almost non-stop rain we’ve had this week the rivers have burst their banks again and the ground is sodden.
I am so pleased you have seen some spring flowers at last; what a lift to the soul they give!
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hilarycustancegreen said:
We have been through the same snow/warm gardening weather cycle (less rural but not that far away). Love the photos, the icicle fountain is spectacular. Being an opera fan, I love the Rusalka aria – very appropriate.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank-you very much, Hilary. I hope this next cold weekend doesn’t cause too much disruption.
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hilarycustancegreen said:
I do too, but I suspect the weather gods are chortling as the builders are finally returning to complete some outdoor work next week.
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Rachel Ball said:
Hi Clare, I’m so grateful that you mentioned the gas delivery but I was looking at these photos and feeling jealous!
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Clare Pooley said:
Hi Rachel! I hope you and your family are well. The snow we had in February is still to be seen here and there; the stuff we had last weekend got blown away by the strong winds. I do like snow but I would have preferred it in January rather than now with the birds trying to nest.
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Sheryl @ Flowery Prose said:
Beautiful photos! I hope the thaw was slow and there wasn’t any flooding, and I hope this weekend finds you in sunshine!
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, Sheryl. It thawed fairly quickly and then rained heavily so there was some flooding, mainly rivers bursting their banks and a few flooded roads but it wasn’t too bad. The area I live in (East Anglia) is low lying and fairly flat and because of that we have deep ditches at the side of all the roads and we try not to build on water meadows and flood plains. The water soon drained away. We have had an improving weekend which ended with some sunshine and a little warmth this afternoon. It was lovely! I did a couple of hours of work in the garden. I hope your weekend has been good xx
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mypeacockbooks said:
There’s something about that fountain that’s just magical! Such beautiful pictures Clare 🙂 ❤ Sorry it's taken me time to check in, I do love reading your posts and seeing your pictures. You have such beautiful scenery despite the cold weather. Snow just makes everything look beautiful in my opinion 🙂 It is strange how we've been having so many bouts of cold weather. I saw it was snowing outside at night but by morning it was all gone!
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lovesdeepwaters said:
Wonderful pics! I love the fountain most.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you very much!
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wholelottarosie said:
Clare, I am glad that winter is almost over and we have no more snow or icicles. But your pics are still beautiful and atmospheric, I particularly like the icy fountain. He looks like something out of a fairy tale. ❤
Clare, have a nice day…
Rosie 🌹 from Germany
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, dear Rosie. I will be very glad when we get some warmer weather, too!
Best wishes, Clare 🙂 ❤
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wholelottarosie said:
💝
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