First Frost

Well, it was a bit nippy this morning and I was pleased I had been extremely organised and washed up the ducks' bowls the night before. I decided to give John and Jean a shallow trug of water so it wasn't quite a drop for Jean with her poorly foot, but I let them into the garden for a bit and filled up the big bath for them to have a play in, and put it up against the low wall so that they could get in and out on a level. They also ate all the moss growing on the wall, which had a surprisingly aphrodisiac effect on Jean...

As for Llywelyn and Joanna, well I must confess to being rather disappointed on the aesthetic front; I wanted pretty white ducks to adorn my garden, with or without picturesque orchard and instead I have this:

Anyway, I decided to let them out too once I'd got the greys in. Ah, now that's more like it:

Note the chicks in the background. The ducks also visited the bunnies:

And then bless 'em, they went back in on their own, after I'd removed Maud and Mary who were doing a bit of, er, "housekeeping" in the run:

I took the dog out first thing and would have got some fabulous pictures of frosty leaves had I remembered my camera. I think I heard a fieldfare this afternoon too, brilliant! They are my favourite winter migrant. It was a glorious day:

The field has just been sown and it's so dry, the soil is really dusty. Scruff uses this brown dust to dry himself off if he gets wet so he becomes a liver and dirt Springer rather than liver and white.

I let the big chickens out for a wander round the garden too:

I say garden...

Anyway, it being frosty and officially winter-on-the-way, I have been storming ahead with my hat:

Can you see the middle row of ravens? I need to finish the crown, then the next page of the pattern says 'Prepare for earflaps' which probably sounds a more alarming procedure than it actually is. I haven't done any more of Tristan's hat as my one is far more exciting but I have just had a commission for another raven hat so watch this space!