the running wave

There may be more to come during the day but, apart from bitingly cold winds, the Siberian beast has only delivered a small amount of snow so far.  I was rather hoping for more! PS : should probably be careful what I wish for!  The snow is blowing horizontally across the landscape, flying off the sea, and I have just taken the dogs out for a walk and been 'sandblasted' by frozen ballbearings.  Stinging, but despite that, fun!   Ted is loving this!  His first real snow.

As the Siberian beast's snowflakes swirled around during one of the many flurries we have had today, I was making my first forage of the year.  Wild garlic!  Hooray.  That will sparkle up our supper this evening!

It has been a beautiful sunny day today, with very little wind.  Before the Siberian beast (described this evening by the weather forecast as being 'brutally cold' - can't wait) blows through during the next few days, bringing its chill factor with it, the dogs and I went for a lovely walk along a grassy path which skirts the golf courses of Kilspindie and Craigielaw, just outside Aberlady.  We came back through woodland.   On the golf courses alongside us, there were lots of people on a good walk spoilt (Churchill's words, not mine, although I do concur) but we concentrated on the views to the north, across the Firth of Forth to Fife, to the east with North Berwick law sitting faintly on the horizon, and to the west where Arthur's Seat and Edinburgh were just about visible against the bright winter sun.

Whooo hooo!  Look who won the Calcutta Cup - for once!

Yesterday, while I was hanging up washing in the garden, I heard a lark singing.  The sound transported me to sunny, blue sky days of summer.  Hooray!  Well today, we have the blue skies but the temperatures have dropped - AGAIN.  So, to gladden the heart and embrace the cold, here are some glorious snowdrops from the woods on the Smeaton Estate, near East Linton.

We have had some ferocious weather this winter, and I am really tired of it now.   For me, the relentless, very strong winds have been the most tiresome feature.   Roll on Spring.  There are signs.  Snowdrops, a few wispy crocuses spotted today, and also a handful of aconites.   However, the sun has shone today.  A beautiful blue day, light winds, and this afternoon we even sat in a sheltered corner of the garden for a little while.  I left my beloved old cat, Pippi, enjoying the almost-warm sun, and the dogs and I drove over to Athelstaneford, for a walk.  It's a pretty little village, with wonderful views north to Fife, east to North Berwick and out to sea, south to the Lammermuir Hills, and west to the Garleton Hills.  I find it an uplifting place to be, and we had a really great walk along grassy field margins.  My favourite kind of walking.