1 November

The First Snow. Preparing For The Dark Days ( Tip: Found Two Promising British Mysteries…

by Jon Katz

We had our first snow of the dark days this morning, an inch or two falling through the morning.  Nothing heavy, but it’s plenty gloomy. Snow can be beautiful here; this one is just a tickle, a warning.

I’m planning on a quiet day at home writing and working. I canceled the Mansion Meditation Class today because I’m still getting over my cold and coughing fits. Tomorrow, Ian McRae is coming for dinner to shear our sheep and read some new poems. Maria calls this our Creative Family. He’s loving the poetry course he is taking at a college in Vermont.

This weekend, we will continue our struggle to get rid of our pigeons humanely; the rats were easier. We have some highly recommend shiny tape to put up in the ban; it is said to frighten pigeons and encourage them to leave.

I’ve discovered two new British mystery series I like. Both are on Amazon Britcom; both are innovative, interesting, and easy on the bloodshed. One is Magpie Murders, a new twist on mysteries, and the other is Annika, a serious and thoughtful series featuring a female homicide investigator who speaks directly to viewers. She is a great and appealing character. More later.

St. Joseph at first snow.

 

Almost ready for winter cover.

The Apple tree in the pasture.

 

Inside the barn, staying dry. Zinnia stays in the rain but keeps a close eye on things.

Zip was waiting on the back porch when I came out to take some pictures.  I think he slept out there through the snow.

9 Comments

  1. I agree that Annika is the best! Nicola Walker is my favorite British TV actor. I recommend everything she has done. If you haven’t seen “River” you really must!
    Always appreciate your recommendations!

  2. Yes! Annika and Magpie Murders are our favorites! We just discovered “Professor T”, another wonderful British detective series
    on Amazon Prime, PBS masterpiece. You’ll love it. Professor T has a quirky personality, but he’s brilliant! 🙂

  3. So enjoyed both the tv series you mentioned. Love your book recommendations as well. May I recommend Trust by Hernan Diaz. Just out in trade paperback. Won the Pulitzer last year for fiction.
    I second the recommendation for River. Excellent,

    1. Annika and 21 Murders are available on our local PBS station, as part of the “Masterpiece Mystery” series.

  4. If you like Nicola Walker in “Annika”, I think you’ll love her in another, slightly earlier British mystery series, “Unforgotten”. It follows the unraveling of one cold case over a season.

  5. Annika and Magpie Murders are available on our local PBS station, as part of the “Masterpiece Mystery” series.

  6. The Shetland series is excellent based on books by Ann Cleeves, a great English author. They take place on the Shetland Islands off of Scotland. I have to use subtitles as their accents-which I love-are very strong.

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