Bitterly cold

I’ve just come in to thaw - it was -11C at 5.45 this morning and has now warmed up to -8C.

The 15mm mesh on the chicken run has closed up entirely with the ice crystals, giving the effect of a very large lace doily.

The trees all have that lovely tracery of ice, but the best effect is on the fence posts and grass, which all have inch-long ice crystals growing horizontally out of them.

Still, I’m about to have scrambled eggs and bacon for breakfast and the fire is blazing merrily, so I’m quite comfortable.