Today’s guest picture comes from my sister Mary, who popped over to Paris for some culture. She bravely used that external escalator.
It was frosty again when we got up and I recorded the fact with the aid of a spirea.
My recovery from the cold has been delayed again and so I took advantage of a cancellation at the Health Centre to get a check on my chest from a doctor this morning. It’s just a cold and will go away in its own sweet time. He didn’t have much of a view about when and suggested sticking my head over a bowl of boiling water three times a day for a week. I think he said ‘over’ and not ‘in’.
I was wasting another day of very light winds but as the temperature never got much above 5°C, I wasn’t as distraught about this as I might have been on a warmer day.
I looked out of the window as the morning went on.
I couldn’t see much because flying chaffinches kept getting in the way.
There were other birds about….some cute…
…some stern…
…and some that I may have seen at Gretna yesterday evening.
After a nourishing lunch of sombre looking but quite tasty soup, I went for a short walk just to stretch the legs. When it is not windy, even 5°C seems pleasantly warm for a walk if you are properly dressed.
I walked through the park to the Stubholm and then followed track through the Kernigal wood and down to Skipperscleuch and came back along the river.
There was lichen and fungus to be seen as I went along.
And I liked the way that two leaves had become imprinted on a rock much in the way that we used to press leaves when we were in the infant school.
Although I was among trees for a lot of the walk, there were occasional views.
And even a little late autumn colour.
Most of the colour from my walk was in the form of larches, which looked golden to my eye from a distance….
…but not quite as pretty to my camera’s sensor.
The actual needles were mostly brownish yellow but still surprisingly green in places.
There were plenty of bare trees to enjoy.
And when I got down to Skippers Bridge, I went down to the waterside and took the obligatory shot. For some reason Roy Orbison came to mind.
When I got home, I found that Mrs Tootlepdal had been very busy doing another section of her path and clearing the nasturtiums from around the front door,
It was sad to see them go as they had done very well in resisting the early frosts but the last one had been too much for them.
I lent a hand on some more tidying up.
There are still a few survivors about.
It was too cold and gloomy to linger in the garden for long so we came in for a cup of tea and a slice or two of a Selkirk bannock. In this we had a lot in common with Queen Victoria who is said to have been very partial to a slice or two of a Selkirk bannock with her afternoon cup of tea.
In the evening, I went off to do some more croaking with Langholm Sings, our local choir. There were only two tenors there tonight and so we enjoyed a very quiet and peaceful evening and were modestly pleased with our efforts.
In spite of all the flying chaffinches, the flying bird of the day is a blue tit. It not the best picture but it makes a change.
Love the frosty leaves!
What a feast today, both visual (the “views”, especially the first one, the frosted leaves, Skippers Bridge’s reflection, and the robins) and literary (your descriptions of the categories for the birds). When and if you try out your doctor’s advice re. the bowl of boiling water, you might consider adding some Vicks Vaporub the the water. Or on your chest at night. My childhood was spent swathed in the stuff, and I still use it and swear by it! Is it something that’s available in the UK?
We do have Vick but the doctor specifically told me not to put any additives in the water so I am going to take notice of what he said.
I like to see the frost rimmed leaves. I’d like to get a similar shot but we haven’t had a frost yet. Instead I woke up to a dusting of snow on the roof.
The larches are always nice to see in the fall. I wish we had more of them.
I don’t know how the photo of the bridge could be any better.
We have had plenty of frost but not a glimmer of snow.
Thank you for another lovely walk. The Skippers picture should win you some awards, as should the frosted red leaves and the robin. The robin would make a lovely Christmas card.
Thank you.
The Skippers Bridge composition is great. 🙂
The bridge invites photographers to have a go at it.
Very pretty frost photos. I hope your cold doesn’t linger for much longer.
I am very fed up with it.
Since you post daily, it’s easy to become accustomed to seeing many fine photos often here, but today’s batch are a great reminder of how good of a photographer you are. The frosty leaves are both winners, as are the flying chaffinches, and of course, Skippers Bridge!
I work on the principle that if I take enough, there should be some good ones among them!
Lovely frosty spirea and beautiful reflection at Skippers Bridge.
Do hope that cold goes away soon.
I agree with all the comments, the bridge photograph is just shouting to be entered into a competition and I also loved the misty view, the bare branched tree and the stern bird. I remember leaning over a large jug of boiling water, breathing in Vicks with a towel over my head.
That does look like a rather chilly day.
It was. But not too windy so very endurable.
The leaves are very pretty with frost on them. And nice one about the boiling water!
🙂
Beautiful photographs. I especially liked the Roy Orbison bridge one. I haven’t yet pulled our nastutiums out, but have been collecting their see pods.
They are very generous with their seeds.
Really beautiful late autumn colors you caught on your walk.
The larches are good value in November.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful photos of your lovely walk. A truly special photo of Skipper’s Bridge.
I always like the chance of a reflection.
Man colds: most unpleasant, as many of us know only too well. Skipperscleuch: of small beer in the overall scheme of things, but in the 1950s my late aunt and uncle Florrie and Charlie Antrobus lived in one of the houses there.
Duly noted.
Glorious light on your walk.
The bridge photo is superb. You made me laugh twice, with the boiling water advice and Roy Orbison. I’m kind of a Vicks vapor rub addict (a minor vice) so sorry you don’t get to use it in that boiling water. Will have to google Selkirk bannock.
A Selkirk Bannock is well worth googling.
I had to Google the Selkirk Bannock, and was informed that it is Scotland’s most famous baked good. This seems to be over-stating the case as I have heard of many Scottish baked goods but never Selkirk Bannock. Next time we visit Scotland we will hunt one down.
They are delicious (if you like that sort of thing, a very fruity bun).
I do like that sort of thing. 🙂
Just catching up and enjoying the photos from your area. That is a nice stand of larches brightening up the gloom.