Winter

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My day off today did not start well. My friend Emma was going to Edinburgh with me but had been sick all night so the trip was cancelled. The temperature had dropped and it was -5 so I decided to go for a walk around Strathclyde Park in Motherwell.

The park has a large artificial loch which attracts many birds and is also used for national and international rowing. Today there was nobody rowing on the loch because the water was frozen solid. It is not often that the loch is frozen but with temperatures as low as today it was not surprising.

I was well wrapped up with my down gilet and fleece jacket keeping my torso warm and my New Zealand merino and possum hat and gloves warming my head and stopping my hands from falling off.

The park wardens had broken the ice at various points to enable to birds to have access to the water for food and drink.

There were many people out in the park despite the cold as it is popular with walkers, runners and cyclists who enjoy the 3.7 mile trip around the loch.

Here are some images from today:

Mute swans deciding whether to walk on the frozen loch

Mute Swans on the ice

Mute swan keeping warm

Mallards on an unfrozen part of the loch 
(note the ice at the water's edge)

Frozen pond and grass

Frozen grass

Walking in the cold is very enjoyable so long as you are wrapped up. It will be cold until the end of February so there should be many enjoyable days out looking at the winter scenes.