At last, we are back in touch with the outside world! More gremlins unfortunately, more visits from Talk Talk engineers, BT engineer is supposed to be coming but suddenly everything has started working again so I’m making the most of it before we are in limbo again!
We have had a couple of frosts so far and actually a week without rain, hooray!
We are still waiting for the lawn to dry out, even after a dry week, we still can’t get the lawn mower on it to cut the grass, which is rather long by now.
Most of the leaves are down now and have been hoovered up to make lovely leaf mould in a corner of the woodland. We just have one oak which is determined to hang onto its leaves for a bit longer, hopefully one more session should clear them all.
I will then just have the woodland to sort out ready for all the snowdrops in a few weeks time. Ever since we had the fallen leaves rising up on top of the snowdrops and I thought I had lost them all, we now gently rake the leaves off and replace them with a lovely mulch of last years leaves which sets the flowers off beautifully.
I now have all your e.mails to catch up on, I have been reading them all even though I couldn’t leave any messages!
Nice to see you back on the blog roll Pauline. Similar conditions here recently but today, we have a real winter feel minus the snow, sadly!
Seeing your comment re ‘snowdrops in a few weeks time’ really does bring home how late in the year it actually is. I’ve lost track over the last couple of months.
Hope your return is permanent now 🙂
It is good to be back Angie, so frustrating while it lasted. Last time we were just back on for 2 weeks, I hope it is longer this time.
While I’ve been sweeping up leaves, I’ve noticed a few green snowdrop tips pushing through, it won’t be long before I’m enjoying their flowers once more.
Good to see you back. Those trolls are a nuisance, aren’t they. Yes, your comment about the “snowdrops in a few weeks time” also caught my eye, and isn’t it great that there will be flowers to cheer us up so soon, and for us it’s not that long until the birds start singing again, some really do start mid-February which always cheers us up no end.
They are so frustrating Helle, I’ve missed blogging far more than I ever thought I would, we just hope it is back permanently this time!
Robins and blackbirds are fighting for their morning breakfast once more, I think they are getting ready for spring and claiming their patch of garden.
Welcome back Pauline 🙂 Hope that your connection does not disappear again. Glad to hear that you have had some respite from the wet stuff. Much wintry precipitation here today in the form of hail. Isn’t it exciting to think that the snowdrops will be with us again so soon.
Thanks Anna, it’s good to be back! We had a little shower overnight, but really we have have a dry couple of weeks which has made a nice change.
Soon we will have the snowdrops with us again, I really look forward to January.
Your frosty images are pretty. Glad you’ve had a reprieve from rain. Hope you’re both doing well.
Our frost was only very slight Susie, as soon as the sun got to the leaves, it all vanished.
The undergardener is now on his hormone therapy for three months and so far hasn’t had any side effects, thank goodness, thank you for asking about him.
Look at that cute little frost! and to think we’ve already had two decent snow storms 🙂 Beautiful pictures, the frost is always so delicate.
There’s not much that aggravates me more than touch and go internet and cable. No one seems to know what’s going on yet all of a sudden it works. Grrrrrr
We only very rarely get snow down in our corner of the UK Frank, so we have to make a fuss about a tiny bit of frost!
We asked our neighbours if their internet connection was ok, it was, so we don’t understand why it keeps happening to us, it is so frustrating!
I’ve missed you Pauline, so infuriating when the internet fails, we have lots of problems with it being terribly slow and then suddenly for a couple of days it is fast who knows why??!
Love the frosty images of the leaves. The oaks here hold on to their leaves until spring when the new foliage develops, I think they awful, I’d much rather see their bare branches.
Thanks Christina, I’ve missed all of you too!
The oak leaves are usually off the tree by Christmas, but at that time of year we have more important things to do, leaf sweeping has to wait! I agree the bare oak branches are beautiful, they make lovely patterns on the grass in winter.
Lovely frost photos – it really does show leaves off well doesn’t it. I think my snowdrops are through and my dwarf irises have been for some time. Isn’t it lovely to see signs of spring already, even though these frosts will no doubt slow things down.
Thanks Annette, we don’t have nearly as much frost as you, so we make a fuss when it is just a tiny bit! I must go and have a look at my tiny iris to see if they are up yet, it won’t be long before all the flowers start once again.
I am glad that you were able to sort through your technical issues Pauline. It must have been frustrating. We pushed past frost some time ago and have had several rounds of snow. No storms just yet thank goodness. Now begins the time of garden daydreaming.
I left all the technical issues to the undergardener Jennifer, it’s lovely to be back, it was so frustrating not being able to do anything. It makes me realise how much I rely on it these days!
I’m glad you haven’t had any of your nasty storms, I hope they stay well away from you this winter!
Lovely frosty pictures. Leaf mould is such wonderful stuff and how nicely it sets off snowdrops. I’ m looking forward to seeing yours.
I hope your internet connection is sorted, what a pain losing it.
The internet is sorted for now Chloris, I hope it says for longer this time, last time it was just 2 weeks before it went again!
A mulch of leaf mould makes the woodland look nice and tidy, then looks even better when the snowdrops and other little bulbs start flowering.
Glad that you’re back! Snowdrops in just a few weeks, what a lovely thought. It’s wonderful when the winter bloomers begin responding to the increase in light. When this happens, spring can’t be far.
Thank you Peter, I’m so glad to be back once more!
The tips of some of the snowdrops are already pushing through, letting me know that it won’t be too long before I can enjoy their flowers once more. One or two should be flowering by Christmas, we’ll have to wait to see which one wins the race!
Welcome back! I am always fearful of computer problems! I love your images of frosted leaves. We also have had quite a bit of frost, though our lowest temps were way back at the first of November. I look forward to seeing your snowdrops!
Thanks Debs, it is awful without it, I felt really cut off!
We’ve had a few more frosts now, but nothing too bad. I’m looking forward to my first snowdrops too, they will get me out into the garden, no matter what the weather!
Couldn’t remember if I had left a comment although I knew I had read your post on my phone when you first posted it as I was so pleased to hear you again as I have missed you and your posts too – what a ridiculous length of time you had to wait to have your internet issues sorted out! Increasingly, reliable internet access is a ‘must have’, something we take for granted when all goes well. Pleased to hear that the undergardener is progressing – will you be having family coming to you at Christmas?
Thanks for leaving a message Cathy, I felt quite lost without you all!
The undergardener is amazingly well, thank you, you wouldn’t think there was anything wrong with him. At the moment he is having his hormone treatment, which will last until the end of February, then his radio therapy will start.
We will be in Bristol with our daughter and family for Christmas then early in the New Year we will go to our sons near London for another celebration, we are looking forward to it all.