Frosty morning.

Into March, some people will have bought their trays of tiny weak bedding plants and now we've had a frost and those little hopefuls will have suffered a heavy blow. This is why I never buy mine till the risk of frost is over however let's hope we will get our staging up int eh greenhouse and get some seeds planted instead; a much cheaper way to ensure flowers are in the garden.
Getting up to a white covering on the car roof and peeking at the robins, standing bright against a washed out background where the frost cloaked the true colours made me hurry back to bed with two cups of steaming tea. Three hours later all the frost has gone and whilst it's still cold the sun has come out and is lighting the conifers into a vivid green haze. I must put down my fourth cup of tea and get dressed. These birds 'waste' my time like nothing else. I start watching them for a minute then realise an hour has passed. I especially like the blackbirds when they come into land. The flash of raven black feathers, their deep orange beaks and the way they put their heads down, their tails up and scuttle at a rate of knots across the lawn makes me laugh every time. The robins have the photogenic edge and know their place as firm favourites of the gardener whilst the tits are too busy getting peanuts to bother. The shrub that the feeders hang from seems to sway independently of the breeze and it's because it is alive with jostling blue and coal tits all intent on grabbing their next bit of food. In a day those two feeders will be devoid of any nuts. Any that fall on the floor are quickly hoovered up by the chicks if they are out or some of the ground feeders. Nothing gets wasted.