THE WINTER SNOW HAS ARRIVED.

The first snow to fall this year,very pretty,I know, but a nightmare when you live up a mountain and the roads are treacherous.I have put these photographs in the side bar,but they do not enlarge so am putting them up again on the post so that you can enlarge them ,if you want to.!!

 The lake garden

 My cottage

 The pond in the woods

 The pond in the  lawn garden 

The last shrub to hold on to it,s flowers,on the side of the cottage garden.

 Charlie,waiting for me to finish my shoot so that he can go back to the comfort of his spot by the fire.!!
I suppose I will have to start preparing for Christmas now,it's surprising how a snow fall can enthuse you to get in the festive mood.
Have a good weekend every one.

SQUIRRELS AND MYSTERY CRYSTALS.

At the weekend the elusive squirrels were playing in a tree in the garden and I was able to get three photographs of one of them before it disappeared into the canopy out of sight.I have tried tempting them with nuts scattered on the roof of the shed but they are very shy animals and refused the treat.

While on my walk recently I came to some fir trees in the middle  of nowhere and noticed something sparkling on the branches.When I got near enough to see what it was,I was so intrigued I just had to take a picture.

There were 4 trees and each had one of these crystals hung on a branch.I wonder who put them there and what the significance of them meant to whoever did it.??

I leave you with an almost full harvest moon,taken in the afternoon while it was still light.

Have a good week everyone and I wish you a happy Thanks Giving.

IRISH TRAFFIC JAM

Post cards depicting similar scenes to this,sell like hot cakes in the tourist season,but I was on the receiving end of this one this afternoon. I took this photo from the car,I was stuck behind these neighbours and their flock for miles,the road is so narrow there is no way of turning round.Patience is said to be a virtue,fortunately my destination was only half a mile on from here,so my virtue lasted just long enough to get me to my daughters farm.

Changing the subject completely, last week I developed a bad case of tooth ache,I managed to get an appointment with the dentist the next day and was told I needed to have the offending back molar removed.The extraction was not straightforward and complications arose getting the root out,I also required a filling which was done while my gums were still anesthetized. When my mouth returned to normal several hours later I was in agony and had to take pain killers,nearly a week later my mouth is still sore and I still have tooth ache,would you believe I have to wait until Thursday to get an appointment.!!! As I am still in pain I am wondering if the right tooth was removed.
 The tooth that was removed had a gold crown,dental work that I had done 30yrs ago,I was given the tooth when I paid the bill,by the receptionist. What am I supposed to do with it ?? I know the price of gold has shot through the roof this year,but I can hardly trade it in for cash.!! I do not fancy wearing it on a chain round my neck---The receptionists suggestion--
 As a bit of lighthearted fun I am open to your suggestions as to what can be done with this ancient molar,that has quite a generous amount of gold in its crown.

Yes here it is in all it's glory.I have hidden the offending root part in the tissue.There must be something that can be done with it--------Practical or downright funny----
Come on, make me laugh ,it will help take my mind off the pain.!!!!

FOR NOVEMBER 11th, REMEMBRANCE DAY.

 POPPIES, a poem I wrote a long time ago for my husband,it hangs on the wall  in the cottage.

 My Father in law ,who was an OLD CONTEMPTIBLE,this title was given to the first soldiers inWW1.He was a very young man when he was sent to France,he was wounded three times,recovered , gassed at the battle of the Somme,then sent back to the trenches.He was lucky and survived the war,but he would never talk about it.He always attended the remembrance day service and marched with the few surviving OLD CONTEMPTIBLES

As a young man,wearing all his medals,including the military medal,he was in the infantry then became a Farrier SGT .
He was born 1889 and died in 1965.

We are a military family,both my husband and both my sons were in the army,they have all seen active service and lost friends,Remembrance day  and the  2 minute silence is always observed in our household.
Unfortunately,wars and terrorism  still rages around the World and I fear many more lives will be lost.Let us all pray that this World will one day  be a peaceful place for all.

They shall grow not old
as we that are left grow old
age shall not weary them,nor the years condem
at the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

                   By Lawrence Binyon.

BOX COLLECTION

The weather is so miserable that there is no chance of getting any photo's at the moment,so I was looking around the house for inspiration for a post.
Some time ago I did a post on my hat pins ,so today I decided to do one on my box collection.I do not have a large selection as this is a relatively  new project.I love wooden boxes best,but I have been given presents of small porcelain pill boxes that are very pretty.I also like boxed wooden games,the ones I have are not old but I am on the lookout for some vintage ones.
The Grandchildren love playing with the games and of course they are unbreakable!! the only hard and fast rule is that they put all the pieces back in the box when they have finished.

 A Victorian writing box,A lovely fruit wood sweet box and a wood and brass domino games box.

 A wooden puzzle box, a mahogany noughts and crosses game board and the domino box.

 A plated silver ornate box lined with velvet.

 Porcelain  pill boxes of Eastern origin and a little brass box.

 An old relish jar.

The box that started my collection.This is an original cocoa box,very old,that I have had for ever.It was made when cocoa was a delicacy and only for the rich gentry.It is covered in a deep red velvet and gold satin.The satin has now rotted and gone into strands and the gilding round the etching has tarnished,otherwise it is in good condition.It would have contained an inner box ,housing the cocoa.
How decadent the Victorians were.!!!
This week seems to have flown by, Thursday already,nearly the weekend again,must go and make a cup of tea,and then light the fire,it is so cold and depressing today.Take care everyone.Carolyn.