A Frosty Morning

This morning was the first real frost we've had and everywhere looked so pretty. There's one point in our woodland walk where you can come out of the wood and loop round through a very rough meadow which isn't cultivated or cared for in any way. This is where I took the frost photographs because in the wood itself the frost hadn't penetrated through the leaf canopy which is still quite substantial.


I've never tried to take this kind of photo before and I haven't quite got the knack of showing the clearcut rime around the edges of the leaves.


This one is a bit better, it would be easier on leaves that have turned colour but everything is still green in the meadow.


This seedhead looked lovely but again the photo doesn'r really do it justice.


I really liked this willow branch because already you can see quite clearly the tightly furled buds of next spring's new leaves.


Back in the wood again it's a completely different picture, although it's only about 8am the sun is shining through the trees onto the warm brown carpet of leaves, it was still very cold though but with the blue skies and the crisp feel in the air it was a pleasure to be out. I did bring out my warm winter jacket today though. It's been a beautiful day from start to finish and hopefully tomorrow will be the same.


It seemed a good day to make an apple pie so here it is ready to go into the oven.


I did something I never normally do and brushed it with milk before baking it, I shan't do it again as it looks uneven and slightly burnt even though it wasn't. Normally they come out a nice golden brown. Lesson learned - stop trying to get fancy:)


There was leftover pastry so I got out a jar of last year's mincemeat which I need to use up - it's full of alcohol and actually improves with keeping so it isn't as horrendous as it sounds! So this is the first batch of mince pies which are for Steve and Hannah (of the broken wrist)- Steve has always loved them and they've been eating bought ones for at least 3 weeks so they might as well have some proper ones. Many years ago the teenage Steve quietly removed a jar of my homemade mincemeat and stashed it in one of his drawers along with a spoon and ate his way through it. I didn't know he'd done it until he told me about it a year or two back.:)
I'm away for the next couple of days staying with friends in Cheshire, we're going to see my god-daughter(their daughter)performing in HMS Pinafore. I've never seen any Gilbert and Sullivan before so I'm not sure whether I shall like it or not inside - outside I shall enjoy it immensely and applaud like mad.