HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ONE AND ALL.

I would like to wish you all a very joyful and peaceful Christmas,where ever you are in the world of blog land.
Thank you for your company over the last year,it has been a pleasure following you all and receiving your lovely comments.
Due to all the visitors here I am going to be very busy,so I will not be  posting again till after Christmas.
Until next time,take care.
Carolyn xx

                                          MERRY CHRISTMAS & A HAPPY NEW YEAR

MARKET RESEARCH ??

A male and female Blackbird.

OK,the birds have nothing to do with the post,so because I do not have a photo to go with the blog title,I have added them for no reason what so ever.!!

Have you ever had one of those Market Research telephone calls,the ones you get just as you are about to sit down to diner,or get in the shower,or have an early night.? They are usually very annoying and I tell the person making the call that I am not interested,but today was different.
The lady on the line seemed more human,softly spoken and very courteous, I had time to spare so as the topic was food and shopping preferences I obliged to take part in her survey.
The first thing she asked was my age group,very important apparently, so I told her.The phone call would have ended right there and then,because I was too old to participate.!!!
BUT,I was slighted and rather childishly,told her politely,that the elderly still have to eat and clothe themselves,we still have to shop and most of us enjoy it.!
I wanted to know why my age group was not included in the survey but all she could say was that we would not frequent the boutiques  and better food outlets.What a cheek.!
Do these companies really think we new pensioners and the more elderly,only shop on the cheap.
I accept that I am fortunate enough to shop for whatever I want within reason,I also accept there are people less well off,who probably find it hard to make ends meet,but even they have a place in market research,so that these big companies do put on better quality offers.
I ranted on  to the point she tried to end the call instead of me.!! I was not rude at all,persistent,yes.The lady apologized for bothering me and she would mention my complaint to her company.
Two things could happen now,I will never have another market research phone call ever again or I am going to be plagued with hundreds of calls for my opinion on stair lifts,walking frames,big button telephones etc,etc.What have I done.!!! 
On that note I will go and make a cup of tea.We are still in the grip of Arctic weather,frozen taps and I am running out of food because I have not been able to get to the shops,wonder if market research could help with that.!!

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.