Just walking the dog

The village is still snowed in, and ice is making it difficult to move around, but the fields look beautiful, so we set off yesterday to stretch our legs and see what was happening in the world of winter. Icicles! Haven't seen them in such number since my childhood.

Reaching the first field I looked down at the snow and was very surprised to see that it was made up of what looked like hundreds of icy feathers - I've never seen it look like that before! Difficult to photo but my super macro did its best.

Before long we had met up with a friend walking her three dogs, and then another friend arrived with his two, and then further on were more villagers and more dogs - it was like a convention! The night before I had watched a Horizon programme on dogs and humans, and how they have evolved together, so it seemed a nice synchronicity. The dogs had a whale of a time romping in the snow, and those humans who were brave enough flung themselves down the hill on a proper wooden sledge.

Cold feet got the better of us after a while, and we headed back home. Put out more food and water for the birds, and noticed that the fieldfare who arrived yesterday is still around, enjoying the pears and apples we provided. He is putting up quite a fight with the blackbirds for the prime eating spot, and is obviously feeling the cold in his feet, as he keeps lifting them up alternately and tucking them in his downy breast. I know how he feels...