On the edge of the white stuff.

I always have mixed feelings about snow. When it's fresh it has a unique beauty, both visually and for the softness it adds to sounds, but it isn't so much fun if you need to work or drive. So when it started snowing quite hard this morning and with the news of the massive disruption the rest of the country was suffering I thought that we were in for a torrid time. For a while it looked as it the village would turn white.

Looking out of the attic window it was good to see that a little blizzard wouldn't stop the job of looking after the horses proceeding.

In the garden the birds were finding the food that was out for them, and in the kitchen Pam was making pans full of bird puddings to supplement the peanuts and sunflower seeds that are the normal fare.

I'm intrigued to see how year by year the various birds in the garden change their habits on the feeders. I doesn't seem long ago that Chaffinches were almost totally ground or table feeders, hardly ever getting onto the feeders. Now they don't only use the sunflower feeders but some are also getting on the peanuts.

these two Greenfinches were waiting their turn, and they were joined in the garden by several Goldfinches, Jackdaws, Magpies, Crows and a Pied Wagtail. The snow didn't bring anything exceptional in to feed. By mid afternoon the temperature, that had hovered just below freezing all morning began to rise, reaching the dizzy heights of 3 deg C but 5.00 pm. Consequently the falling snow turned to rain and the small amount on the ground quickly melted. Let's hope it doesn't freeze over night, or the roads will be very slippery.

Lifeboat appeal update Martin Collins tells me that the fund raising at Dover on Saturday made just over £2500, exceeding their expectations. Many thanks to anyone who contributed.