We've had some quite harsh weather here on the Pennines of West Yorkshire these last few days. Snow comes and never quite goes, and it has been perishingly cold with subzero temperatures for days. Hopefully that will help kill off, or suppress, some garden pests and diseases. Whatever flowers were remaining - the penstemons, roses, clematis, and some flowers still in the hanging baskets - have been frozen to death and my garden is looking somewhat pathetic this morning under the light covering of snow and ice which is as hard and clear as glass. I've removed all plants from the
garden room which, despite insulation, is dipping below freezing inside. But outside, this morning, wow! Sunrise has painted the sky the most fabulous rainbow colours and a 'murder of' crows has decided to gather in the neighbour's ash trees at the bottom of my back garden and make the most alarming racket. In all my years I have never ever seen that before. It didn't unnerve me in the least but it was very much like a scene from Alfred Hitchcock's movie 'The Birds' (1963).
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| Sunrise and crows - 16 December 2017 |
Above, a murder of crows congregating in ash trees, 8 December 2017, 8.30am, West Yorkshire
I feel blessed to live where I do with our fabulous sunrises and sunsets, and almost two weeks ago, 3 December 2017, there was the most wonderful supermoon, apparently. I only saw it a few days later when it was clear and bright in the blue morning sky, about 8.30 a.m. I understand that there will be a supermoon in the UK on 2 and 21 January 2018. You might find this
newspaper science article about supermoons interesting (Telegraph.co.uk external link)
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| Moon in morning sky - 8 December 2017, 8.30 a.m., West Yorkshire |
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Close up of moon, five days after UK 2017 Supermoon of 3 December 2017
Moon in morning sky - 8 December 2017, 8.30 a.m., West Yorkshire |
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| Snowy landscape in West Yorkshire - 8 December 2017 |
