Windywillow

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Frosty Foggy Solstice

I woke up yesterday, on Winter Solstice, to a pale, foggy and very frosty morning. Our first frost this winter.

The trees in my back garden were dressed in frosty white. The contorted hazel looked especially lovely.

The lone witch hazel flower coated in crystal.

Out front, on the farmer's field, the sheep were lounging about in the heavy fog.

One lone sheep felt it necessary to be apart from the rest.

It was SO cold, I went back inside and had my oatmeal. I used the last apple from my tree today. Notice, I had the wrong burner on. I actually was thinking it was taking longer to cook today, because it was so cold!

In a little while, the sun came up, peering through the mist.

The sun was just a glow in the sky.

The countryside looked magical in the faded light...

Later in the day, the weather had not changed one bit, it stayed foggy and frozen. Here's the sun around 2:00, low on the horizon, caught in the branches of the beech tree.

Back inside, Tas watches the bird channel, as a flock of starlings look for goodies in my back garden.

It was quite a big flock, and I wonder what they found so interesting back there in the frosty grass.

So that was the shortest day of the year here at Windywillow.
Happy Winter Solstice to all you gardeners and artists!

13 Comments:

Blogger Mr. McGregor's Daughter said...

Lovely, evocative, atmospheric photos! I especially like the 1 of the lone sheep - what a feeling of melacholy. The more I see of contorted hazel, the more I need to find a place for 1.

December 22, 2007 5:56 pm  
Blogger Digital Flower Pictures said...

Great selection of photos, salix. You are lucky about your first frost it has been freezing here for a month. We had the second snowiest December on record and I don't think they counted all the ice storms we got.

Have a Happy Holiday!

December 23, 2007 12:25 am  
Blogger Unknown said...

"The bird channel!" I love it. :)

That picture of the contorted hazel is absolutely gorgeous. (And so is your jade plant next to the kitty.)

So, if frost is cold... I would guess that my -7 degree (Fahrenheit) temperatures last year would have sent you into hibernation? *grin*

December 23, 2007 2:56 am  
Blogger Kelly Medina said...

Wonderful photos! The lone sheep image is my favorite. But I also love the vertical shot with the mist covered sun behind the bare trees and the winding sidewalk disappearing in the fog. Beautiful!

December 23, 2007 4:08 am  
Blogger Diane Dehler said...

Dear Salix,
These are beautiful and mysterious photos. You comment about the cat channel was very amusing.

Do you happen to know anything about fairyrings? It was my understanding that a ring of mushrooms surrounds them.

PS I have a link to a Solstice Irish webcam about Newgrange. Your country and culture are so fascinating.

December 23, 2007 7:22 am  
Blogger Silvia Hoefnagels . Salix Tree said...

Blackswamp Girl, at first I thought you had said -7C, and I went brrrrr! But then I realised it was -7F!!! Oh my gosh, that converted to -21C! Eeks! I can't imagine how cold that is, I think I would turn into an ice cube! I must say, we are soft here in Ireland, hm? I little frost has me shivering.

December 23, 2007 9:27 am  
Blogger Yolanda Elizabet Heuzen said...

What a wonderful winter wonderland you were having. We've had lots of fog these last few days too.

A very Merry Christmas to you, your family and all the kittycats, Silvia!

December 25, 2007 11:08 am  
Blogger Nickie said...

Free the cat!! I betcha Tas would of had fun with those birds LOL! Starlings are pests here, are they also pests where you are?

December 25, 2007 10:21 pm  
Blogger David (Snappy) said...

i love your photos Salix tree.They are all so atmospheric and spooky for the shortest day.Thankfully the cat looks at the birds through the window!

December 27, 2007 11:05 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Great pics;) Happy Holidays!

January 02, 2008 3:37 pm  
Blogger Squirrel said...

i wonder what the birds were nibbling--? the sheep in the fog is a really wonderful shot, and the witch hazel tree-- I have wanted a witch hazel tree for ages... this may be the year to order one before i forget yet again.

January 05, 2008 11:18 pm  
Blogger Squirrel said...

i love fog--you really captured the feel of it here in these shots!

January 05, 2008 11:19 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Great, atmospheric pics. Talk about a sense of place!

Very nice. Thanks for sharing.

Good '08 to ya! :-)

January 07, 2008 5:06 am  

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