Mild.

HAPPY NEW YEAR.

We stayed up until midnight last night to see the New Year in and sure enough we got to enjoy at least six fireworks displays. Most were along the coast but there were also fireworks going off from behind the house, maybe from the holiday park which had us looking back and forth. I was so engrossed in watching the fireworks that they were almost over before I remembered I had set up the camera for fireworks. Hence I only captured some smaller fireworks being set off from the beach and the pictures were still a bit wobbly even though I rested the camera on the terrace railing.

It has been very mild again today. Somebody recorded 14.5C /58F in the village just after midnight. We even had sunshine for the whole afternoon.

Good waves had the surfers out in force and there was an informal group swim at midday. The beach itself has been relatively crowded and there has been a constant stream of walkers along the coast path aka the road at the bottom of the garden.

At home it was time to put Christmas to bed. I used to keep the decorations up until twelfth night when the boys were younger but now I like a fresh start for the New Year. That said I'm a sucker for sparkly and pretty things and I love seeing twinkly lights  around the place. But I also like the calm of white walls and minimal décor. (At least that's the intention.) The little driftwood tree symbolises a lifetime of longing to be back beside the sea and nearly all the decorations on it were given to me by the youngsters so I think of them each time I look at the tree. But now everything is now packed away until next Christmas. The Christmas cards each of which was a link to family or friends have now been sorted. Some have been kept as they are, other fronts may be used to be made into new cards and the rest saved for shopping lists and the written on sides put in the recycling. Down in the front garden the big driftwood tree has been dismantled and stored in the garage. I was particularly pleased with my adaption of a wire coat hanger to store the shell decorations. The rope tassels were firmly tied to the sticks which have been put in a tall waste bin with the central metal pole.  

I also gave the window pole two coats of paint so now it's ready to be put up in the sitting room window. And of course there was a certain amount of sitting, nibbling and watching the view and the tv.