Friday, December 25, 2009
Christmas Day for Bill and Paula.
It's Christmas!!!
We got up rather late this morning.
We took presents round to Frieda and also saw our neighbour, Rose.
They would each be at a daughter's house for the day.
By the time we started to make our own plans it was rather too late to go to Brighton to join the people on the beach cheering on the Christmas Day swimmers. We drove instead to the Jack and Jill windmills and walked to Ditchling Beacon.
It was moderately warm and the sun broke through, giving us a clear sky.
For the Thailand family I will point out that "moderately warm" is how we compare it with the temperature that was at the beginning of the week. It was about 5 degrees C.
We met lots of walking people on the South Downs.
There were smiles and greetings.
I will begin with Bill's picture of the Christmassy robin that we saw.
Bill poses at the edge of the little car park with Jill on the left and Jack, further away, on the right.
Here I am with Jill.
There are dew ponds all along the top of the Downs. The ponds are dug and lined to hold water for sheep and cattle on a land where water drains away quickly.
I was waiting for the children to go away and then thought their silhouettes would enhance the picture.
The highest point is about 2 miles from the Jack and Jill windmills.
Bill has a telephoto lens and it could see the view of the sea better than our eyes could.
My eyes could see what my own little camera could see.
Typical Downland - the short springy grass, which in summer fills the air with the
We didn't know the name of this breed of cattle.
The markings on this cow should make its breed easily recognisable - so if anybody knows please let us know.
We got up rather late this morning.
We took presents round to Frieda and also saw our neighbour, Rose.
They would each be at a daughter's house for the day.
By the time we started to make our own plans it was rather too late to go to Brighton to join the people on the beach cheering on the Christmas Day swimmers. We drove instead to the Jack and Jill windmills and walked to Ditchling Beacon.
It was moderately warm and the sun broke through, giving us a clear sky.
For the Thailand family I will point out that "moderately warm" is how we compare it with the temperature that was at the beginning of the week. It was about 5 degrees C.
We met lots of walking people on the South Downs.
There were smiles and greetings.
I will begin with Bill's picture of the Christmassy robin that we saw.
Bill poses at the edge of the little car park with Jill on the left and Jack, further away, on the right.
Here I am with Jill.
The snow was, I am sure, quite thick up there, last weekend.
In sheltered spots there was still snow to be seen.
It was a hint of a white Christmas!
There are dew ponds all along the top of the Downs. The ponds are dug and lined to hold water for sheep and cattle on a land where water drains away quickly.
Today there was still a thin covering ice on the dew ponds.
I was waiting for the children to go away and then thought their silhouettes would enhance the picture.
Bill's picture has recorded a more accurate scene - with green grass and blue sky, without the "artistic" contrasts of silhouettes.
The highest point is about 2 miles from the Jack and Jill windmills.
We posed by the trig point to mark our Christmas Day walk.
Bill has a telephoto lens and it could see the view of the sea better than our eyes could.
Enlarge the photo and you can see houses and even traffic on the roads.
My eyes could see what my own little camera could see.
Typical Downland - the short springy grass, which in summer fills the air with the
scents of the chalk and herby aromas.
We didn't know the name of this breed of cattle.
The view shows the Weald of Sussex spread before us.
The markings on this cow should make its breed easily recognisable - so if anybody knows please let us know.
We got home about 3 o'clock.
We quickly prepared the vegetables and then sat with a cuppa and watched "White Christmas" with Bing Crosby.
We had dinner at 6 o'clock - turkey and roast potatoes and parsnips and other veg.
We were full up.
So, it was just as well I didn't prepare the Christmas pudding today. It wouldn't have been eaten.
Tomorrow we have plans to go to a pub at Brockham (near Dorking) at lunch time to enjoy the Morris men and a Mummer's play.
I hope that all those who read this can look back on a Christmas Day that fulfilled all their hopes.
Goodnight.
