Ice, Ice baby

It's cold!

We're told (constantly) that we're nuts, but we are loving it! We have been waking up to hard ground frosts and freezing fogs caused by subzero temperatures all this week. Sasunnach dances around on the ice when he goes outside to pee and the gum tree in our back garden (how good of our landlord to anticipate our coming years ago when he planted it) is FROZEN.
(Note to self—must invest in a dressing gown...early morning bathroom trips may be chilly)

Daily temperatures are reaching a dizzy 7-8 celcius whilst overnight it has been minus 4. Thankfully, the days are clear and bright with some sun so we are being introduced to wintry Hampshire with gentlenesss. And as any meterologist worth his or her salt knows, winter doesn't actually start until the solstice, 22nd December—another month away.

This does not appear to coincide with the untimely release onto the unsuspecting public (i.e. me) of Christmas Carols which have been playing in naffly decorated shops for some time now. Let the reader understand that I am not happy! Plastic holly has no place in a country where it grows as a weed naturally...and as for inflatable elves—that's another moan.