Views from my garden - a Hoar Frost and Herdwick Sheep


A beautiful but chilly day.    A hoar frost covers my garden, descends upon my valley.    The feathery frost has the appearance of white hair.    The word comes from the olde English and refers to the aged, the old.    When an above freezing atmosphere comes in contact with a frozen, solid surface water vapour changes to ice and becomes a hoar frost.


The plants in my garden take on a mystical appearance.   The wintry scene is enhanced by a  flock of Herdwick Sheep.   The Cumbrian mountain sheep much loved by Beatrix Potter (1866-1943) - writer, illustrator and farmer.   She bequeathed 14 farms, approximately 4000 acres of Cumbrian land, to England's largest conservation charity.    The National Trust, because of Beatrix Potter's legacy, have an obligation to protect her beloved Herdwicks.

Frequently we see Helvellyn (a mountain Fell 950 metres/3120 feet high) from the garden.  Today the mist obscures several of the Fells including Helvellyn. 

Nevertheless the vistas are stunning; the scene spectacular.    Sharing the outlook from my garden is a great pleasure, a privilege.

   
 

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