The First Frost

 Having to take youngest to work for 8am is frustrating when you wake up to see a glistening frost and just want to get outside to enjoy the beauty of it. 

As soon as I got home I pulled on my walking boots and headed off. 

Frosts I have missed you.

The ice crystals and rising sun are all so magical. 

I just love being out in the cold when the air is still and the sky is this colour.

Looking up  I noticed a skein of geese...no hang on they are all white. Swans. Just wonderful.

  I ponder what type they will be. Probably our resident Mute swans. But I did hear them honk. 

I've checked up and Mute swans are so called because they don't call in flight. It seems they were most likely migrating Bewick's swans! Just on a short trip from Siberia!! 

Sorry about the rubbish photo. I don't even try and zoom with my phone camera as it's not good at that.

This sighting made me so happy, what a treat. 

The frost was rapidly disappearing by this time and the sheep looked content, grazing in the sunshine.

I loved how the sunlight made this beautiful yellow leaf really glow too.

By this time it was about 9am. Sometimes I pinch myself that I can get outdoors and enjoy all this any day of the week. Usually it just makes me smile. Today it actually made me sob. Gosh that was a surprise. 

I think it was just gratitude for the quiet days I'm blessed with at the moment. To be retired from  a job I was increasingly struggling with over the past few years is amazing. 

I know how fortunate I am to be in this position. Homemaking and caring for family is generally very rewarding.  I have a good balance of time for myself and commitments every day. I'm certainly never bored. Life is good. 

Who knows what's around the corner. Circumstances can change but I'm not going to worry about that at the moment . I'm just trying to remember to count my blessings and look for the joy in every day, one day at a time. 

Jacquie x