In time to see the otters

Sometimes one gets lucky: I just finished watching this year's first episode of BBC's British wildlife program Winterwatch. I nearly missed it. I was doing some house chores when my wife told me she just saw on the TV schedule that it was. So I tuned in. it was way into it and I only half watched it, as I often do as house chores have to be done, but all the same, I had time to see the otters. I love otters, they are one of my favourite wild animals here in the UK. I don't think they are the star of this particular show (they are featured more in Springwatch and Autumnwatch), but it's nice to see these little fellas all the same. (Side note: I took this picture in Derbyshire in an otter and owl sanctuary, as I thought it would fit this post's topic.)

A Beaver's Diet

It has been very cold recently. The snow is mostly gone (for now), but the cold is here, wet, nasty. It is cold enough to prickle the skin like sharp icy needles. Some of my colleagues were complaining about it, they all agreed that it is so cold it hurts. I said what my mother often says: "When you are in pain, it means you are still alive." It is a great unknown line, and a Nietszchean one. But yes, walking outside is an experience in pain.

But winter here does have its bright side: there is Winterwatch. I learned about the beaver's winter diet. Apparently, what they find in the bark they eat is sugar. During winter, they burn all the fat they have accumulated and have a high sugar diet. Suddenly, the label on the Map-O-Spread seems so fitting. I am very tempted to have a similar diet for the rest of the winter. I received another bribe of chocolate today, a small Cadbury bar, so I guess I do have sugar intakes. I know chocolate is not exactly healthy, but I need my endorphin. Maybe that is why beavers have a sugaree diet during winter. For the endorphin one needs to get through.

And on a side note, I promise that my next post will be about something else than food or winter.

Winter Purgatory

I was wondering about it yesterday, today it was confirmed: it had snowed during the night. This morning, it looked quite lovely on the ground. And the train was on time. They were forecasting a snowy Apocalypse, icy Hell. This was not nearly as bad as this. Then it snowed some more, I walked in it at lunch break. It was not so lovely, as the snow was not a pleasant one: it was thick, melting snow that wouldn't stay on the ground, but would turn someone wet and cold in minutes. On the way back, it had turned into rain and the station was icy. They had put buckets of salt all around. I rarely find winter hellish. I sometimes find it heavenly, especially when I have nothing else to do than enjoy it. But today and this evening, I thought it was pure Purgatory.

But not all is bad: there is Winterwatch on right now and it will be on all week. It is the spinoff/brother of Autumnwatch/Springwatch. I am a bit too tired to give it much attention, but I love to see images of British wildlife and the English countryside can be so beautiful during winter, all bare and quiet. It makes me forget about wet snow and how unpleasant winter can be when it is Purgatory on Earth.