Giveaway Winner

Congratulations Kezia you are the winner of my blogiversary giveaway. Please would you email your name and address to me, my email can be found on my profile page and I will send your prize to you once I have made something in red for you.

Thank you to everyone that took part in my giveaway, it is always a pleasure to hear from you.

Best wishes, Pj x

Blog Bug and Update

My original post:-

It has come to my attention that the side bar is missing on my home page.  I am trying to sort this out, but meanwhile my side bar is still accessible on the other pages if you wish to enter my blogiversary giveaway.

Alternatively please use this link to the post http://thesnailgarden.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/five-today.html

Hopefully it is just a temporary bug and blogger can sort it out.

Best wishes, Pj x
Update to post:-
Many thanks to Hermione for her help with this issue.  I posted about my blog bug on the Google Forum and she very kindly took the time to send instructions to me on how to solve the problem.
Unfortunately I ended up with a post being in the wrong order and being a fussy (my husband would say anal!!!) person it then meant that I had to re-post a couple of posts to get them in the right order.  I know, how sad am I?  So sorry, but this has meant I have lost some of your comments. Please forgive me, Pj x

Days 26 to 29 of 365

Nearly the end of the first month of my 365 photo challenge!

26 of 365

At the weekend it was Big Garden Birdwatch and I choose a sunny hour to watch the birds from my kitchen window.  I saw 2 blackbirds, 2 robins, 1 coal tit, 2 great tits, 2 blue tits, 6 sparrows, 2 long-tailed tits and 1 wood pigeon.

27 of 365

As part of my new fitness regime I am trying to walk more.  Sunday we walked to the nearest garden centre to buy some seeds.  The garden centre is approximately 1.5 miles away and we reached it just in time as a major hail storm occurred.  This is the sweet, little cat that lives at the garden centre.  We always look for her when we visit and stop for a fuss.

28 of 365

My orchid has flowered again! I have been waiting patiently for months and suddenly a new flower spike appeared.  The next bud is now opening.  Sorry for the poor photo quality, the light wasn't very good.

29 of 365

A new magazine.  I'm looking for inspiration for our/my main meals.  I'm the only vegetarian in our family, but my loved ones like the odd veggie meal.  My husband gets a bit twitchy if I give him too many though! :)

Days 21 to 25 of 365

The next five photos in my 365 challenge:-

21 of 365

The snow and ice started to thaw.  Icicles formed on the wisteria as the snow melted and dripped off the patio roof.

22 of 365

Unexpectedly we had more snow over night.  Just as I thought we had finished with the snow!  I decided to walk to the gym for a swim.

23 of 365

A snowy picture of a different kind!  We opened the tin of all-butter shortbread biscuits that my parents had given to us at Christmastime.  Not just any shortbread biscuits! ;) This is the beautiful stag on the lid.

24 of 365

Thursday involved a trip into town to try to sort out my new glasses.  Still not happy with them!  This is the town centre church looking very picturesque with its dusting of snow.  This is probably the last snowy photo you may be pleased to hear. :)

25 of 365

Finally on the last row of bobbles!  I'm not the fastest knitter and these bobbles have seemed never ending, but I have nearly completed the front of a cushion cover I am knitting for the rocking chair in our living-room.

Only six more photos left to take for January.  This also means that there are only six more days before I draw the winning name from the hat for my blogiversary giveaway.  If you wish to take part please click on the button in the sidebar.  Please join in the fun.  Best wishes, Pj x

Oh my Ears and Whiskers ...

... it's still snowing and they have put me outside for some "fresh air"!!

Sunday afternoon we went for another walk and as the cats had been in for so long we thought a short time outside would be good for them! :)

We walked through the village,

 across the business park

 to these woods, crossing logs over streams

and having lots of fun going off piste rather than following the main tracks.

 The seed heads looks beautiful adorned with little clouds of snow.

 Back in the village, even the street lighting looked pretty in the snow.

I apologise for yet another snowy post, but I love walking out in it and I have been out each day. Hope you are all keeping warm and safe. Best wishes, Pj x

Fields of White

Word must have got around that there was food on the bird tree, because Saturday morning there were six long-tailed tits on the feeders.  This is the first time that I have seen them in our garden.

 Such pretty little birds!

 We three went for a walk along the public footpath on the edge of the snow covered fields.

 We discovered deer

 and rabbit tracks.

 We looped around via the supermarket and library

  and with our booty made our way home through the woods,

 across fallen trees over water.

 Back home we warmed up with hot tea and cheesy crumpets, followed by Christmas cake before settling down to some family reading:- Jay's, Husband's, Mine.

Waking up to a ...

... winter wonderland.

This was how our garden looked Friday morning.  

I put extra food out for the birds.  This male blackbird was partial to the seeds and meal worms in fat.

 The house sparrows seem to prefer the seeds.

 This robin has learnt how to eat directly from the feeder rather than wait for the seeds to be dropped by other birds.

 The blue tits like all of the food.

 In fact the birds were queueing up for the food.  I'm now calling this the bird tree.

 My husband came home at lunchtime and we went for a walk through the village,

past frozen nests,

 collecting snowballs on bootlaces

 we entered a winter wonderland.  This place always makes me think of Narnia!

 The village pond was frozen

 My husband stopped to make a mini snowman on the bench by the pond. :)

We had a lovely walk.