THE countdown to Christmas has well and truly begun.

It will be a very different Christmas this year due to lockdown restrictions as the country continues to battle the spread of the coronavirus.

However we are fortunate indeed to live in such a beautiful part of the world and perhaps many of us will be spending more time in the great outdoors this Christmas and New Year.

Whether or not we can look forward to a White Christmas is still unknown.

While snow and frost bring their own problems in terms of roads, particularly in rural areas, perhaps this year any snow fall would not be such a problem given so many of us are working from home.

Indeed, given the year that we have experienced, perhaps a White Christmas, is the least we deserve.

We will have to wait and see.

However one thing is certain and that is our enterprising and imaginative camera club members will be on hand to capture any snow fall.

Tell tale signs of pending change in the weather can be found in nature.

Look out for woodpeckers sharing a tree, the early arrival of the snow owl and departure of ducks and geese.

Next time you see a cow, take a closer look at its neck as thicker hair than usual means we could be getting snow.

More fallen acorns is also a sign that we could be getting snow over Christmas.