Clean, clean, clean, clean

clean, clean,clean.

Clean, clean, clean, clean, clean.

And a dish of kumquats.

This was going to be

a bird boast post,
to show you the huge variety we have visiting our feeders.

wren, robin

bluetit, starling

magpie, blackbird

goldfinch, greenfinch

great tit, coal tit

house sparrow, tree sparrow

rook, goldcrest

even a greater spotted woodpecker.
Not to mention redwing, wood pigeon, ring necked parakeets.
But the one garden bird that remained elusive,
was:

the thrush.


Until today when I found

this.


We think he flew into our window.
So sad.

 First, Second and Third Ladybird Books of British Birds

illustrated by Allen W. Seaby and Roland Green M.B.O.U.,F.R.S.A  

Snow Ball

One of us

is preparing for a dinner party tonight.

A lavish menu has been planned

and every pot, pan, chopping board, knife,

ladle, worksurface, gadget,

and recipe book has been pressed into service.

The scene is set.

Guests to be seated by 8 p.m.

His younger brother's special champagne jellies

are in the fridge.

There may be dancing.

The rest of us are going out.

 It's pretty cold out there.

We hope that the Snow Ball will not go on until dawn.


Brambly Hedge Winter Story by Jill Barklem

'Cheer up, cheer up!'

WHEN LUCY MOUSE

reached the bank where Mr and Mrs Nibble lived 

with their three children,

all she could see was snow.

No front doors, no little windows - just snow.

'Oh dear,' she thought. 'My poor friends!' and she called very loudly:

'Cheer up, cheer up! We've come to dig you out!'

Actually we barely had enough snow to reach a mouse's kneecap

so we certainly didn't have to dig anyone out,

but I did have the chance to rescue someone 

with a polystyrene box of provisions.

We had an erroneous frozen goose delivery, five days too early

and nowhere to store it until Christmas Day.

Providentially the company had been unable to meet the demand for geese  

and one of their disappointed customers,

 lived just round the corner.

'HOW VERY VERY 
kind of you to  come and help us,' said Mr Nibble.
'and how very, very good of you
to bring us food.
We're very hungry.
Please come in and share it with us.'

Snow at Blackberry Farm

IT BEGAN TO SNOW

at Blackberry Farm just before tea.

Great, big, white flakes

slowly covered everything.

The animals peeped out to watch.

WHEN ERNEST

Owl looked out in the

middle of the night,

it was still snowing.

He watched for a little while and then went back to bed,

saying to himself:

'It will be very deep in the morning.'

For Il Fratello.
Blackberry Farm Book - 21
by Jane Pilgrim

The Robin

We can hardly keep up with the feeder filling.

And I feel terribly guilty when I see the birds queuing

forlornly at the empty ones.

The robin hops up to the kitchen window and looks in quite accusingly

From Something to Do in December

You will often see the robin this month, 

but that is not the real reason why it is a Christmas bird. 

Until about a hundred years ago, postmen wore red coats, 

and were nicknamed 'Robin', 
so when Christmas cards became popular 
the robin was used as a cheerful symbol of the postman.

Postman Joe from the Blackberry Farm Books.

Blue shadows

Snow lay thick on the fields and the woods 
cast blue shadows across it.

The fir trees were like sparkling, gem-laden Christmas trees, 

the only ones Susan had ever seen.

The orchard, with the lacy boughs outlined with snow, 

was a grove of fairy trees.

The woods were enchanted, exquisite, the trees were holy,

and anything harmful had shrunken to a thin wisp 

and had retreated into the depths.

from The Country Child by Alison Uttley

The carol singers

We had an early visitation from carol singers tonight.

I was already Hoovering up the needles from our not-non-drop tree,

so I nearly didn't hear them.

They started with Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer,
sung with some gusto.

Only one of them knew the words to We Wish You A Merry Christmas,

 the other one was miming bravely but approximately.


There is a very special sort of facial expression needed
for carol singers when the freezing air is rushing through the open door and you are clutching a vacuum cleaner.
 You can smile fixedly for the duration,
but you will soon tire,
you can sing along encouragingly,
but they may look put out, 
and you may have to clap energetically as they draw breath for Siiilent Niight
otherwise you will catch pneumonia.
Ours ran out of repertoire quite quickly and as the fading bars morphed 
with visible signs of relief into
a rather mechanical 'Haaappy Chriiistmas' 
it was clear that it was my turn.
'That was lovely. Who are you collecting for?' 
'Um,' said one of them.
The other one looked around for inspiration.
'Charity?' she said.
50p each seemed to be the going rate.


From Something to Do in December


The gates of the walled cities and towns of the Middle Ages were guarded by watchmen who were called waits. One of their duties was to sound the hours by playing a note or a simple tune on a wind instrument like an oboe. As many of the waits were musicians they gradually came to form bands which played on special occasions.
Later on, when cities had police forces, there was no need for watchmen or waits. But one of their duties had been to play songs for the Christmas festivals in the streets. This is why carol singers are sometimes called waits.
They still call at houses before Christmas, but mostly they are children collecting money either for themselves or some good cause.

Christmas Lights

without the broken bulb.

Sussex winter landscape

balm for the soul on the homeward journey

after a Christmas shopping excursion.