A year apart: the 5th December
I love the seasons. What would it be like to live in a constant temperature? A constant spring? An endless summer? An everlasting cold? No, I love the change.
And here in the UK the seasons themselves are mutable. Summer is often not hot and dry. Spring might not be an unfurling of life but icy, cold and wet. And this autumn has not been damp and blustery but long and warm and mellow as caramel. Winter has come now but how different this mild late born winter is from last year's lion's grip, the whole world stilled under his heavy paw.
This is the 5th of December last year, steely under snow, and then the same date this year, all sun and silhouetted trees.
This year there are marigolds still throwing out flowers. A year ago today the field was blanketed under snow.
Green and gold fennel this year and monochrome hedges last.
Rose hips and snow.
I love seasons.
The irregularity of the seasons - but I've a hunch the cold is on its way for all that. Still it reminds me of the Dartmoor farmer who was asked about the seasons. "Don' be knowing about 'em,' he muses, leaning heavily on the lichen clad gatepost. "'ere, we be 'aving three months winter and nine months wet weather.'
ReplyDeleteThen there's the miner (or was he a steelworker) on holiday and there's a golden ball in the sky. A child asks "is that the sun, or the moon?" Your man replies "No use asking me, I come from Port Talbot."
When I first came to Wales those hillsides were black; now they are green and the sky is clear and blue. We are all in debt but let the seasons commence.
Hello to you! Winter is truthfully my favourite season of all simply because whilst the gardens slumber (partly at least) a particular poetry sets in. The skies are slapped with paint strokes of muted greys, mauves, pinks together with more arresting oranges. The garden becomes more monochrome but our imaginations fill in the spaces. I love winter and I hope to capture its spirit (partly at least x2) in next week's Making Winter.
ReplyDeleteRelish and enjoy.
Stephanie
ps I am always relieved to spring arriving though!
It won't be long Elizabeth. Enjoy the colours while you can. Please let it not be as bad as last year though.
ReplyDeleteOne more winter Christmas would be wonderful. Even after 46 years in New Zealand Christmas in summer still seems wrong.
ReplyDeleteThe sky is low and grey here today and everyone is asking 'do you think it will snow?'
ReplyDeleteWe all love the seasons, as long as the cold one is short and the pleasant one is long!
Weather bizarre here in New York, as well. It's more like the usual weather for end of October, and here it is nearly Yuletide! No complaints, though... last year spent over $900 on snow removal alone... I'd love a snow-free year this year! (Knock wood)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful images, as always. Quite happy with the seasons at present; Autumn hung on until the end of November and then whoosh, 1st December and the temperatures fell. As a child I assumed that winter was December, January & February, and that Spring began on 1st March. It hasn't been like that for many years but this year things feel more "right".
ReplyDeleteThis time last year the roads were too bad for me to get to Ma who was in hospital, so I remember that snow well.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Pondside. And more. Get a bit bored of winter after about half an hour of cold. I like it when it behaves - big blue sky and something a bit sparkly and frosty. Not the grim trudge of grey and damp and ghastly wind. Getting away with it really, this year. Osteospermums and pelargoniums, salvia and lobelia stil flowering.
ReplyDeleteAnd, "Is it me" or is it "new blogger" - is this new blogger?? so sllllowowoowww, and I've had to do this fascinating comment twice.
What a lovely post - and what an interesting comparison... This time last year, we just had heavy frost; not a hint of anything like that so far. I do hope I'm not tempting fate!
ReplyDelete(And I have to do comments twice, too, by the way.)
This time last year we had snow but so far this year have only had a couple of frosts. It has turned significantly colder though in the last ferw days. Roll on spring!
ReplyDeleteFennie - I am a real sucker for all those sayings about weather, particularly the ones about rain. You know the kind: if you can see such a hill it is about to rain, if you can't, it is raining.
ReplyDeleteI keep meaning to look back at my pictures from last year (now I feel I have done just that through your blog)
ReplyDeleteMy calundula are still going too.. will plant plenty of those next year.
I keep popping into my greenhouse to see my sweet pea, they are all growing well at different heights. I'm determined to plant all through winter as, though i love and require the cold for the garden, I just can't wait for the signs of spring... xx
Stephanie - I have taken a long time to love winter (and I still struggle with FAR TOO MUCH MUD) but there is beauty which belongs only to winter. Winter too is the only time I knit as at any other time of year I am reluctant to come inside and I am getting a lot of pleasure from knitting just now!
ReplyDeleteI love the seasons too. Sometimes I think it would be nice to live somewhere with year round sunshine and warmth. I do hate the cold. But then I think I would miss the anticipation of Spring and Summer and the beauty of Autumn. Winter is a season that I just have to get through. The long dark nights do get to me after a while. Even though I hate the cold I do love the beauty of a hard frost and the glistening of snow.
ReplyDeleteHi Elizabeth!! Came to see you! Oh my goodness, is this what you look at every day? Lovely and enchanting!! (those are my two favorite words, although they have strong competition from "charming and delightful" :) VERY happy to find your beautiful blog! Aloha, Melissa
ReplyDeleteDobby - agree wholeheartedly about it not being as bad as last year! I am trying to be in the moment and enjoy what winter gives me but I know by February I will be fretting and pacing and looking for spring!
ReplyDeleteSusan Heather - I lived in New Zealand as a teenager and never got used to a hot Christmas either!
ReplyDeletePondside and Marcheline - I wouldn't mind being without snow this year. the last two years have had rather too much snow for my liking!
ReplyDeleteO love the seasons too. There's always something to look forward to. We were under a very deep blanket of snow this time last year too. This year we have had one small sprinkling - I do hope we get a proper dump at some stage. Juliex
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