Someone is finding perfect camouflage in the freshly fallen snow - can you see him/her?
(Yes, it's a magpie.)
It had stopped snowing this morning, but it's still cold, so the snow that's come down is staying put. I decided to take the opportunity to defrost my freezer - which is best done in cold winter weather when I can put the contents out on the balcony while it goes on.
It's still always kind of a messy job that takes its time. One difficulty is that my freezer is a "half size" one that is placed above another cupboard. So one can't just place a bowl on the floor to gather the water in, but has to find other tricks to go about it, and keep a close eye on the process to make sure the melting ice/water doesn't go where it's not wanted...
When the wet and messy part was over (and while waiting for the freezer to get cold again), I went out for a short walk taking some stuff to the recycling containers; and on my way back stopped to buy some fruit at a neighbourhood convenience shop, which specialises in fruit and vegs. I kind of rediscovered this shop back in the summer, when they had quite an "exotic" display outside. (See photo below.) And now they still have quite a lot to offer in their very cramped space inside. They're only a 5 min walk from home for me, so a good alternative when it's just some extra fruit & vegs I need between my usual home deliveries from the big supermarket.
Photo from July (display outside the shop)
...and a wintry beginning of December for us! Quite fittingly, as I was opening the first little door on my advent calendar, it began to snow... and it is staying put, too. Good job I am working from home today, but I have friends coming from afar tonight and hope their travels won't be affected too badly.
ReplyDeleteThe magpie was indeed well camouflaged, but I spotted her/him before looking at the zoomed-in picture :-)
Meike, I haven't found (come across) any advent calendar this year. (I like the old fashioned kind with just pictures but they have become rare here.)
DeleteI would have missed the tiny sweet bird, if you did not mention it was there. I was focused on the tangled tree. beautiful sky from your windows and oh how I hated defrosting the freezer back before they came up with frost free. yours is really hard with where it is... great idea to put the contents out in the freezing cold. now it is done until the next time..
ReplyDeleteSandra, the "tangled" bit of the tree is two magpies' nests, one on top of the other.
ReplyDeleteIt took me a while to find the Magpie, and I had to enlarge the photo - even then it was well camouflaged.
ReplyDeleteDefrosting the freezer was always a job I hated. My fridge was integral with the freezer and though the fridge self defrosted, I had to do the freezer manually. I have just brought a new fridge freezer and made sure that both are automatic defrost, so one tiresome job eliminated.
Carol, I have to confess did not even know frost free freezers existed. As I rent my flat, all appliances like that (cooker, fridge, freezer) belong to the flat rather than to me. They put in a new freezer some years ago, but it definitely needs defrosting at least once a year...
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