A Little Winter Sun

Just for a few hours this morning, the sun peeped through and it cheered my week up very much indeed. It seems an age since I looked up to see the brightest blue, a watery sun beaming down and clouds scudding across the sky.

In the town early on the wind was keen, cutting right through me and making me wish I'd put on another layer. Raw was the word. Later on though, on my drive home from the mid-week market I pulled in on the verge just to watch the sun lighting up the valley.

Winter sunshine is such a precious thing. It vanishes for what seems like weeks and has no real warmth at all but just the sight of it makes the heart lift.

Down at the river the Churnet sparkled through the blackened trees and the sky was high and bright.

By lunchtime though it was almost over, just the last few rays lighting up the house. I lit the fire this afternoon and made hot chocolate for my sniffly boys and shut the curtains early.

I'm rather good at the art of cosying up and could do it all year round but it was so good (if cold) this morning to feel the wind blow the air clean and the memory of this light filled morning will light the rest of my week.

P.S Thanks so much for all the lovely comments I've received over the last few posts. It is wonderful to know other people too enjoy the same things that I love to ramble on about! Thank you too for the recommendations for the Susan Hill book with more Angela Barrett drawings, I do have it actually (it was given to my free by a stall holder at the flea market when I bought another old gardening book  lucky me!) and I love her illustrations in "Through the Kitchen Window" as well.

"The Gardener's Almanac" was produced by The Sunday Times in the 1986 and written by Graham Rose if that's any help to anyone who's trying to track a copy down.  I can recommend Abe books for out of print copies and ebay is always worth a try!