Snowy Days Are Here Again

Although the weather has been extremely cold for the past two weeks no snow had fallen on our hill. We had freezing easterly winds with both day and night time temperatures below zero Celsius.

We have been lucky with above average sunshine everyday and beautiful clear starry nights.

The east of the country has been blanketed in snow for the last fortnight and schools have closed. On our hill the snow from two weeks ago lay frozen all around until this morning when fresh snow fell, starting after sunrise and falling lightly and steadily ’til afternoon.

The snow has changed the quality of sound here, as it tends to wherever it falls. We are used to quiet up here on the hill, although for the last few months there has been the faint daytime sounds of forestry workers further over on the hill.

Still, the quiet that we are used to has changed, become even softer. The wee song birds seem louder and thankfully the whitethorn bushes are still laden with red winter berries for them.

I saw a male blackbird today attracted by the peanuts which we put out and we never saw one up here before. I was used to the sweet sounds of blackbirds  where I grew up and missed their tunefulness so I am delighted to see one here and will be sure to keep a steady supply of peanuts over the winter.