Fat and Frosty Balls

It's freezing, absolutely freezing, the kind of cold that makes your bones ache, your teeth clench and your eyes water. If you have to trudge through it, when you get back you feel exhausted even though all you've walked is a few hundred yards. It's the kind of cold that wraps your joints in frozen bandages so that you feel hunched and held as though entombed by some overwhelming glacial grip. Is it any wonder the dogs don't want to go for a walk when they are closer to a ground that is so frozen it rings like metal with every step. I don't blame them one bit.
Dutifully we plod through this icy wasteland where branches are now so brittle they crack and shatter at the smallest touch, leaves crunch and the long grass sprawls exhausted by the effort of supporting so much frost.
I snap away taking photographs of each and every thing in this desolate wonderland, eventually the dogs wee, steam rises, they shiver, I put on my gloves and we tramp home. I've got a feeling there will be a lot more photographs of frost fringed leaves.
The one pleasure is to note the increasing competition amongst the neighbours to attract wild birds into their garden. The local garden centres have spotted a market for this growing interest and consequently there is now a huge choice of bird tables, hanging feeders, baths and food. Whereas before the birds had to make do with the ocassional berry or seed now they are more likely to encounter a full three course meal all wrapped up in a fat ball. We all like to see birds in our garden and don't they know it, we've created a monster, the wild bird fussy eater. There is so much food at hand that these little devils turn their beaks up if the seed isn't fresh or the nuts vary in size, maybe the bacon bits aren't organic, who knows but the competition is on and although we have one fat robin on our side, the rest seem to prefer the eaterie next door.
We have however devised a cunning plan and that is to go back to basics. We're introducing the radical notion of school food, the birds will get breadcrumbs in the form of an old bagel hung up which if successful will be joined by a necklace of redundant baguettes. I think they will be so dazzled by the audacity of the menu that word will get round and soon we will have a garden alive to the sound of birdsong and the crunching of beaks on stale bread as satisfied diners get stuck in. At least the cat will be happy.

Comments

[Chris Durbin]

Fantastic sense of place and great photos, Tom - I can really feel the crunch under foot and the beauty of frost. The cold I crave after the heat of HK. What you need for the dogs is either the dog flak jacket from Stanley market [the poodle parlours may even sell shoes] or the one I saw yesterday a dog in a santa suit going for a walk to protect them from the cold!

As to the birds - the Chinese Bulbuls are cunning and know there own palette - we have a kumquat tree on the balcony and I tried distraction - nuts etc - guess what they sneak in for kumqwats!

[Helen Read]

Beautiful photography - also, well written descriptions of this time of year! I looked at your recent work, and also have to say "Well Done". Wishing you a great Christmas season and a happy New Year!