Posted in Bealtaine Cottage, Birds, Christmas, Country Living, Garden, Inspiration, Ireland, Lifestyle, Permaculture, Thrift, Uncategorized, Winter Kandinsky, Stars and Solstice Preparations Posted on December 10, 2012December 10, 2012 by Colette O'Neill As the winter moves towards the Solstice and Midwinter festivities grow closer, cleaning and painting the cottage is taking up most of my time. Doors have been painted, along with window frames and furniture. The thing is, once started, painting just goes on and on, as more things look grubby alongside freshly painted wood! This is the newly decorated pantry…with a piece of art on the wall by Kandinsky, one of my favourite artists. The shower room, (I don’t have a bath), was also given a complete makeover, including some stencilling on the walls. The stencil was cut out of cardboard for free. This morning here in the west of Ireland is filled with sun, clear skies and frost. The weather has been frosty, but mild enough to keep the blooms on the Geraniums. It’s the kind of day that should be bottled and sold as perfect Midwinter weather! I have just started putting out food for the birds, in the form of rolled barley. Barley grows here in the British Isles, so there is little transportation involved. The birds love this and one big sack from the farm store costs less than 10 euros and lasts all winter. There is plenty of food in the garden, but this is a supplement as many small birds use Bealtaine Cottage as a food stop. Share this:TwitterPinterestFacebookWhatsAppPocketLinkedInRedditPrintTumblrTelegramSkypeEmailLike this:Like Loading...