SOLSTICE GREETINGS FOLKS.

Yes folks, today is The Winter Solstice ... from now on the days gradually get longer. We are only just over three days away from Christmas Day and I have been trying to get into the festive mood. Last Friday I went to our annual Carol Concert at St Illtyds ... which has been duly decorated by our willing band of volunteers and beautiful it looked too both outside .......................and........................... inside

 It's hard to believe looking at it empty as it is now but on the night this wonderful space was filled with music from the Abertillery Town Band & the Cwm Male Voice Choir as well as a fully packed audience who sang their hearts out. The acoustics of this wonderful church can take it all as well as amplifying a solo voice with no need for a microphone.

 It is almost hard to believe when I took these photo's the other day, that this space was so filled with people who had such a wonderful time & afterwards mulled wine & mince pies or tea & coffee for those who were driving home on a rather cold, wet, winter night

So ... is Dafad in the mood for the Chris-Moose Fez-Divities?

The answer is no, not really. The weather has been mostly quite cold and very wet.

Though today gave us a small welcome break when the sun came out and so we took the chance to walk up one of our favourite forest tracks to see what had changed in the many months that we have been away and oh my goodness was I in for a big surprise ...

A large swathe of conifer plantation had been felled and the results were stacked up ...

and judging by some of the rather interesting growths on some of the cut ends, this felling had happened some months ago because there were some fascinating patterns on them.

 I was busy trying to gather some fresh greenery for the festive wreath on the door and I kept getting side tracked by all sorts of other more interesting things, like this stag beetle.

But with festive preparation in mind, trying to get in the spirit, I had a little bit of fun ...

making a snowflake pattern of oak leaves.

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No doubt we will soon have our fair share of snow on the mountain here, but

as I write this it is raining with a howling wind and rather cold but it it's comforting 

at least to think that the days ahead will get longer and brighter

So, wherever you are in the world, I hope you are better prepared than we are here.