4th February 2012. Current temperature at 7.00am, -8C And snow on the way.

Caroline and Fred Smith, with me aged around 2 years  old. 

It  is my birthday today. Here I am with my paternal grandparents, in their garden, aged about 2 years old.  Now being a Senior Citizen myself, it seems as if time goes far more quickly! I have my own grandchild, 4 months old, who is coming to stay today with his parents. So the pattern of life is repeated in timeless sequence.    

When I woke this morning the temperature was -8C and the sun pouring in through our bedroom window. An extremely hard frost.  The forecasters tell us that snow is on the way. I watched the redwings in our neighbour's garden late yesterday afternoon as the sun was setting and the freezing cold returning with a vengeance.

They were feasting on the left over windfall apples which lay on the ground under the ancient tree. There were over 30 of them all at once. It was like a brood of chickens frenziedly pecking at newly scattered corn! Very soon the apples were shredded and devoured. As the light faded the whole flock rose into the air to wing their way to their roosting place for the night, where ever that may be.

On holiday.Nyons, Provence, France. 2010. Santé!!  

And as for me, as I type this, our cat is snuggled up to the radiator, having decided it is too cold to stay outdoors. I am thankful for a warm home, and look forward to welcoming my family.