The End Of 2022 - Part 2.

    Ah, winter. Where would we be without you? Somewhere warmer probably, with much less of the chilly-willys! Brrrr! It's been quite cold at times ain't it?

    Now, I don't know what your garden is like, if you have one, but ours is one of those that once wet, it stays wet for ages and it has to be said, looks a bit naff for the duration. Last year though the latter part of Autumn and early Winter was made a bit more interesting by a variety of Fungi springing up here and there! We do always get some, but we had a few newcomers this time round.

Some of our regular toadstools

White Saddle, I think...

    I admit I know very little about Fungi and I immediately turn to the wildlife books to find out more about names (I haven't had that much luck in that department to be honest!) and edibility/poisonousness. Not that I would ever eat one mind you - I don't even eat regular mushrooms, YUK! Never have liked 'em! But, they are an interesting species and it's good to learn something new every now and again.

...Ummm, Fred...

...Grey ones...

...Small Freds?...

...more of our regulars.

    I've always thought that mushrooms and toadstools would make great little amigurumi projects, especially after seeing a glass(?) decoration on a Christmas Tree a few years ago, but I just never seem to get round to it! Why is it that sometimes the simplest things are the hardest to do? One day I will just sit down and do one without all the over-thinking I'm prone to, and it will probably turn out fine.

    Like a lot of you we had some very hard frosts and even a little snow during that really cold spell just before Christmas, but along with the shivers we also had some more welcome cold-weather happenings.

    Redwings!!

    I don't know how many there may have been in total because they seemed to be flying into this Cotton-Easter bush from two directions, but they were on it for most of a day and some of the next, and I have never known the bush become berryless so quickly! Really, there are no berries left at all! 

 

    We don't see them every year and often it will just be one individual, or perhaps a very small group, but this time it was a proper flock and a very enjoyable watch it made too!

    🎄🎄Christmas was actually OK in the end, the week or so leading up to it had been a bit wearisome and stressful, but the actual weekend was pretty good. I made the few cards I still make in double-quick time this year! Literally a couple of days - technically a couple of hours or less. Usually I need an entire morning plus some, but I didn't have the opportunity or the enthusiasm for it this year. They were all well liked which is the main thing. The tree was put up on the 23rd (a bit later than planned admittedly) and I did most of the decorating but it looked very good what with its mix of new LED lights and traditional decorations. We didn't get quite as many cards this year until after Christmas, and then the other string was put up. One card took exactly one month to get here. Anyone had any take longer? Oh, and we're still a present down because an order hasn't arrived. How long to leave it before requesting  refund, that's the question.

    I do wish the weather had been a bit nicer over Christmas and New Year. It would have been a lot more cheerful if we'd gone back to the sunny, frosty days of a couple of weeks before but, sadly, it was not to be. Grey, rainy days do not suit us at all.

    We don't celebrate New Year as such. A toast of "Happy New Year" at dinner time  and that's it. We used to have Scampi and Chips for dinner but we've been so disappointed with the taste of them on the last few occasions, that this year we had good old reliable Mince and 'Tatoes! One of my favourites it has to be said!

    And so, that's how 2022 ended. I hope yours ended well and your festivities enjoyed, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts and comments on whatever I end up posting throughout 2023.

    Toodles! 👋😀