Frost!

The weather has been quite mild recently but yesterday morning was frosty – for a while before the sun came out, unlike today when the frost never melted at all, and the sun didn’t shine much.  It was cold outside, and I thought twice about going anywhere in the car, as it would mean scraping the windscreen to try to defrost it.  Instead I went out for a bit of a walk along the riverside, up to Fotheringham Bridge and back on the opposite bank.  However, first I took some photos of the frost on plants and stones in the garden. 

I love looking at the frost crystals and wonder why they tend to be thicker and longer round the edge of a leaf or stone.  I have some pieces of slate and groups of little stones by the pond and they too were really pretty.

 

 

 

 

My little Christmas tree in a pot went to live outside after Twelfth Night, and here it is with a covering of frost on the needles.  You can clearly see the regular pattern in which the needles grow.  Nature is very clever!  

I’m not sure what this plant is but I loved the appearance of a frost bloom

 

and these clusters of leaves are very pretty too.

Leaving the garden behind I headed across Tweed Bridge, taking a picture downriver to Priorsford Bridge, Lee Pen the hill in the background, before crossing the road to take another picture up river

 

past the cauld and the park to Neidpath Castle, misty in the distance.  I would walk up the left bank as far as the next foot bridge.  Of course wasn’t it just then that I realised I had forgotten to put the charged camera battery in my pocket… and the one in the camera was on its way out!  Oh well! 

I had never taken a picture of the self-made island between the cauld and the bridge before, so snapped it quickly before taking the path to the riverbank.

Views back towards the town are always good from this side of the river.  The building on the left is the local swimming pool that was built some years after a tweed mill on the same spot burned to the ground.  You can see the island here too with a fallen tree that was probably not very deep rooted lying in the water, a victim of the recent high winds.

Just above the cauld a couple of trees have piled up, making good perches for the gulls that frequent the river.  Some tree trunks manage to fall over the cauld – I’ve seen them float by from my windows – but these two have obviously hit some sort of barrier. The long straight tree trunk is a recent addition here, again a victim of the storms.   I was just taking this picture when a couple of friends walked by going in the opposite direction.  We stopped and blethered for a few minutes before they continued on their way and I….. I was going to say “and I on mine”, but before I did, I took a photo of them heading towards Tweed Bridge.

Here’s another look across at the parish church

 

and another, this time with a self seeded ash sapling to enhance the view.  It’s such a photogenic building!

This is my favourite view.  I love it when you get the reflection like this!  Talking of reflections…       

         

 

These Scots Pines standing at the beginning of Hay Lodge Park always reflect in the water here as it is generally still and calm before reaching the cauld.

Just before the park Hay Lodge itself stands above the river bank alongside Riverside House, built as a hotel but now sheltered flats/apartments for the elderly.  I wouldn’t mind ending up here when I can no longer manage the steps to and from my present house – just as long as I can have a flat with views of the river. I know a couple of people who live here and their little flats are very attractive – and there’s a lift/elevator! 

 So, I was in view of Fotheringham bridge when I took this picture of the grasses against the backdrop of the river…..and this was where the battery finally gave out!  Hmmmm!

I carried on to the bridge as planned and came back to town on the far side.  Why didn’t I remember to pick up the recharged battery before I left home?  I could have kicked myself – but then I would probably have had to split this post into two parts.  Maybe I’ll get another chance to take frosty views from the other bank tomorrow!  It’s still very cold and frosty tonight, so fingers crossed for another frosty and maybe sunny day to follow!  The sun was what was lacking today!

Talk again soon.