Things Are Looking Up

After 'the Beast From the East' and storm Emma things are looking up, here anyway.
It seems almost eerily quiet after a couple of days of gale force winds.
With the quick rise in temperatures most of the snow in the village has gone already:






Back to normal this evening. 7C and it's raining!

Returning from our mid afternoon walk I spotted one lot of miniature daffodils in the front garden promising that Spring really is close by:

Saturday Stretcher

The weeks seem to be flying past at the moment.
Once again, last week's stretched subject was:



which was correctly identified as a clothes peg / pin by Adrian, Wilma and Ragged Robin:



Different colours registered by different cameras being used.

I think this week's stretched object may be a bit more difficult to work out:



If you think you know what it is please leave a guess in the comments.
They will be revealed, along with a 'proper' photo, next Saturday.

A Bit Precarious

Just looked out of the kitchen window to see:



Another part of the tree has snapped in the gusty wind.
This time resting precariously in the branches of another tree.
Will there be any left by the time the gales recede over night?

It might be just below freezing outside but the wind chill is -7C as we found out on our early morning perambulation to the village post box to send a birthday card.

A Near Miss

All day the wind has been gusting over 40mph.
Part of the large, lanky leylandii just past the end of my garden broke off:



It seems to have landed just behind my fencing, narrowly missing it.
There are two sections left which are taking a battering so I have fingers crossed that if they do come down it will be away from my garden and fencing. I am very pleased I had my leylandii removed a few months ago as these winds are forecast to continue for at least another 24 hrs..

Brrrrr

It's definitely still winter.
Today's temperatures, so far:



Just put out the third lot of seed for the birds.
Always a toss up who will be waiting nearby, Robin or Blackbird:



Also had to change the pot of water I put out in cold weather. It soon freezes over.

Something I don't see much these days, icicles.
These have been slowly forming during the afternoon:



Though snowfall here has been sporadic, when it has come it is like blizzard conditions.
Yesterday it nearly all melted but not today.

Beam Me Up Scotty

Mid morning a few days ago all that was visible to show there was a Sun somewhere were these weak Sunbeams:



Sunday's Sunrise looked more colourful, brightening up a cold Winter morn:



This morning we are getting a taste of things to come - light snow showers.

Orchids

The mid size Cymbidium plant has been in flower for about four weeks and seems to have reached its best colouring:



Another of the Oncidium Twinkle miniatures is also starting to flower.
These blooms are about 10mm at their widest:



The buds on the larger Cymbidium plants are still developing.
All being well some should open about the middle of next month.