Sunday, 24 February 2013

Cold comfort

I caught a cold this week, which has somewhat curtailed my blogging experience.

And of course, it has been snowing on and off - but the bulbs don't seem to mind.  


The weather has been blustery with a cold snap having drifted our way from Greenland of all places.  Everyone bundling up against the cold:
This squirrel lives with a group of others, in the trees outside our apartment.  He (or she) sat huddled up on this tree branch stump for about an hour, bowed down against the wintery blast!

However all is not doom and gloom because we now have two new neighbours!  
A little Blue Tit and his mate have moved in to the bird house that sits on our apartment wall.  We are being very careful not to disturb them as this is the first time that a bird has moved in on a more permanent basis.  We did have a wren in there some time back but it was only a passing visit.
Meanwhile the pot of winter aconite we bought during the week, is in flower: 

And I made bread this morning:
 

 . . . from which we cut large doorstop slices to be buttered and eaten with bowls of homemade pumpkin soup:



 The results?

As for me, I am at that stage of a cold where the worst has passed but one still feels sniffy and in need of constant pampering.
So I am sitting ensconced in silken luxury on the sofa, reading books and taking tea in between naps.  It is a hard life...
The two books are: Howitt's 'Visits to Remarkable Places' (which I purchased on our last holiday) and 'Crusader Castles' by T. E. Lawrence - yes, that T. E. Lawrence -  and a really good read too!
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30 comments:

  1. Things and Thoughts24 February 2013 at 08:20

    I'm following your blog and enjoy your posts, these lovely images! Keep warm!

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  2. Marina in Blue24 February 2013 at 09:46

    Wow I love your bulbs in the snow and your pots and your bread and your soup and your books, this is a poem for you. Sorry I'm a little bit crazy

    Marina

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    1. Unknown24 February 2013 at 11:51

      Thank you Marina for your crazy poem - I like it!

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  3. 1st Man24 February 2013 at 10:13

    Stay warm! That picture of the squirrel was funny, I wasn't sure what it was at first, ha. Lovely pictures, as ALWAYS. Makes me want to visit and share a cup of tea with you both! :-)

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    1. Unknown24 February 2013 at 11:57

      Thank you 1st Man, you and 2nd Man are always welcome to pop round for a cup of tea.
      Those squirrel photograph - I just happened to be sitting on the sofa, talking on the telephone when I noticed it through the window. At first I thought there was no point in trying to take a photograph because it would be long gone but as it seemed to be sitting there for such a long time I finished my 'phone call and still had time to take some shots. These are the 'best' ones as I went in to some sort of squirrel photographing frenzy and took about twenty!

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  4. Rosemary24 February 2013 at 11:38

    I love it when we get blue tits in our nesting box. Sometimes we are lucky sometimes not.
    Being cosy in the warmth with a bowl of soup and homemade bread is sure to make you feel better soon. Luckily at the moment the snow has passed us by - methinks it is time to take a trip and find some sunshine.

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    1. Unknown24 February 2013 at 12:01

      I'm with you Rosemary, Spring cannot come soon enough - and I mean real Spring with sun and flowers and blue skies. . .
      We are going away for Easter and it had better be sunny by then!
      With regards to the nesting boxes: Yes birds can be like that. They always take up the nesting boxes in the trees in the park etc but our one is usually left empty. Mind you, there is a hole in a tree facing our window and the woodpigeons always nest in it - but it isn't the same as having birds nest in a nesting box you yourself put up especially...

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  5. Parnassus24 February 2013 at 12:03

    Hello Kirk, It sounds like you are recuperating nicely. The books you selected are great armchair adventure for being cooped up inside. I just looked up Crusader Castles, and apparently it was his Oxford thesis.
    --Road to Parnassus

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    1. Unknown24 February 2013 at 12:27

      Hello Jim,
      Yes I am recuperating nicely - thanks to AGA. I could get used to it but unfortunately it will be back to work tomorrow...
      Regarding the book you are correct. The edition I have consists of the thesis and the letters that he sent home to his mother while he was collecting the first hand information he required. These letters add colour and depth and great humanity to the thesis - I love it! They were originally published in two volumes as a limited edition but were reproduced in 2010 by the Folio Society.

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  6. prince snow farm24 February 2013 at 13:06

    Hi Kirk!

    I am sorry you have been suffering...but glad you are being spoiled! Your visions of bulbs in the snow, are lovely :) We see Tufted Tits around her, I have never seen the Blue species. They are lovely. But my favorite line of your whole post is when you referred to the slice of bread as "doorstop slices". Too funny! The pumpkin soup looks great. I have one more bag of pumpkin puree left from the garden....perhaps a little pumpkin soup is in order.

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    1. Unknown25 February 2013 at 07:46

      Hi ND,
      The Blue Tits are lovely little birds. So colourful and 'chirpy'. They are proper little characters.
      There is nothing better than buttered 'doorstops' when you have soup like that. And I do love Pumpkin Soup. There is an excellent book about sharing entitled Pumpkin Soup. Whenever I read it to the children I get an urge to make some. . . Pumpkin, together with a potato, an onion, some tomato puree, a little garlic, salt, pepper, sugar, paprika, and butter - what a perfect pumpkin soup those ingredients make!
      PS
      I must admit that if there is one thing I like, it is being pampered.

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  7. Nadezda25 February 2013 at 01:19

    Kirk, I hope you are better now, take care!
    I liked your pictures of muscari, seems they don't scare the snow and cold wind. We have here the same specie of chickadee - with 'blue cap', in my garden too!

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    1. Unknown25 February 2013 at 07:48

      Dear Nadezda,
      I love muscari. We call them 'grape hyacinth'. And of those birds, when I see them flying about, in their blue and yellow best, then I think that Spring cannot be far away.

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  8. prince snow farm25 February 2013 at 06:18

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  9. Madelief25 February 2013 at 11:29

    Dear Kirk,

    Hope you will feel better soon! You balcony does look cheerful with the spring bulbs and what a pretty little neighbour you have.

    Enjoy your books and take care,

    Madelief

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    1. Unknown26 February 2013 at 09:25

      Thank you Madelief for your comments,
      That part of our balcony looks nice but the rest? At the moment it is blech! AGA can't wait to get out and sort things out but the ground is frozen solid!
      I am feeling better today. It certainly takes a while to get over this cold so I hope you don't catch it!

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  10. Mark D. Ruffner25 February 2013 at 15:52

    Dear Kirk - I hope you are taking your vitamins and minerals! and that you are well recovered by the time you read this late comment. The pumpkin soup and bread looks like fine medicine in its own right. I have not seen your little bird here in the States and I wonder whether it's primarily a native of your area. He looks like a little flower!

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    1. Unknown26 February 2013 at 09:28

      Dear Mark,
      I am a lot better today. This cold certainly knocks you for six!
      That little bird - the Blue Tit - is only found in Europe I think. They don't migrate so are with us all the time. It is so bright and cheerful and you are right - it is just like a little flower - I like that description!
      Bye for now
      Kirk

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  11. A Normandy kitchen25 February 2013 at 21:04

    Hello Kirk,
    Glad to see you are getting better - I have also been ill with flu (18 hours of sleep on Saturday - most disturbing!) Bring on spring already!!
    Ahhh... a doorstep is the the only way forwards, your bread looks wonderfully crunchy. I am experimenting with sourdough bread at the moment - have you ever given it a go?
    Best wishes,
    Ivan

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    1. Unknown26 February 2013 at 09:30

      Dear Ivan,
      Well I hope you too are feeling better now. What we need is a nice dose of sun.
      Now, I have not tried sourdough myself. I shall be interested to hear how yours goes. I have recipes but haven't tried them. I did make tomato bread the other week and that was rather nice.
      Best wishes to you too
      Kirk

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  12. Parvum Opus26 February 2013 at 08:42

    Dear Kirk,
    I am so sorry to hear that you were down with a cold, but it sounds like all is well and cozy there-- wonderful AGA at work once again! During the winter, I feel like the birds and squirrels that visit us and live in our trees and the the ivy on our house are sort of 'out-door pets' that we must look after... They really add so much to our daily life with their songs and antics! We have no Blue Tits, but we do have 2 Tufted Titmouse couples-- lovely!

    Your home-baked bread and pumpkin soup are calling to me... What a talented baker you are!! Between the bread, soup, tea and your wonderful stack of books, you're having what I'd call the perfect winter hibernation day-- I hope you can do it all again soon, sans cold!
    Warm regards,
    Erika

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    1. Unknown26 February 2013 at 13:15

      Dear Erika,
      Thank you for your kind comments.
      You are right, when it is cold outside what more could you want but nice comfort food and books - and some blog reading now and then!
      My father taught us to love all animals and care for those that come into our 'orbit' so the fact that these little birds are nesting on our wall makes me very happy!
      Bye for now
      Kirk

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  13. Lord Cowell26 February 2013 at 15:51

    Bread looks delicious - great comfort food. Please do share the recipe.
    Get well soon. David.

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    1. Unknown3 March 2013 at 22:42

      That pumpkin soup recipe is an old French one so the measurements are not exact but:
      soften one large onion in a large pot the base of which has a little olive oil in it.
      Then add:
      1 potato
      1 tomato
      two carrots
      two cloves of garlic
      some salt
      some pepper
      a pint of water
      bring to the boil and then simmer until the potato is soft.
      Roast the pumpkin in the oven. when it is ready remove the rind and put it in with the vegetables. Mash it all (I used a barmix thingy).
      You should have a bowl of pulp.
      Add 450 mls of milk and stir stir stir.
      Add cumin paprika salt pepper and a teaspoon of sugar.
      stir taste add more of the above if needed stir etc until just right!

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    2. Unknown3 March 2013 at 22:43

      I forgot that you also need to add a teaspoon of butter.
      I hope you like it!
      Bye for now
      Kirk

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  14. Moving with Mitchell2 March 2013 at 05:17

    I felt a chill looking at the first pics, but warmed up as I read along. Hope you're feeling better soon. May the constant pampering continue.

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    1. Unknown3 March 2013 at 22:44

      Pampering has continued and I am now fit and well. Now I see that AGA is beginning to cough a lot... It looks like we are going to be reversing roles.

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  15. Yvette4 March 2013 at 18:21

    Sorry to hear of your cold, Kirk. Belated good wishes for a speedy recovery which seems to have been affected. (I note the walk around the village in the next post.)

    Though curling up on the sofa with two good books and a cup or two of tea sounds pretty good to me. Where would we be without books to help nudge us along in the sometimes bumpy process of living...

    Congratulations on the bird visitors and spying a robin or two.

    We haven't had that luck here yet. Though next week the clock changes yet again and Spring can't be far around the corner.

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  16. Yvette4 March 2013 at 18:21

    Oh, meant to add that that bread and pumpkin soup look delish. :)

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