Advent Blip Calendar No.22 - Christmas Rose

This Hellebore is a seasonal beauty and they're often called Lenten, Winter or Christmas Roses. We have quite a few growing around the drive.

Edit: This hellebore may be orientalis rather than niger, the latter more commonly being referred to as Christmas Rose and orientalis being the later flowering Lenten Rose. It's not clear even on rhs sites such as https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=113 which seems to imply all hellebores may be called Christmas roses. However TonyG says:  H. niger is generally shorter and can be bought in flower at this time of year.  Planted in the garden it can flower at mid-winter. H. orientalis generally flower just after the snowdrops and last until Easter - hence the name Lenten Rose - but like yours mine are confused by the non-winter and are coming into flower now.  

I had a visit from another Brown Owl this morning, along with her two week old tiny baby. He is so perfect and adorable. Lauren and I enjoyed lots of cuddles.
This evening I've just come back from another massage and needling treatment. I can't say I'm enjoying it but it's working for which I am so relieved.
Tonight it's raining yet again and the news is that there's flooding once more in Cumbria. My heart goes out to all those whose homes have been flooded. It was good to hear the flood appeal reached its target so quickly and so it was raised significantly, as it seems even more damage is coming. I wish I could do something tangible to help, as sadly for a lot of households, Christmas is going to be wet not white this year.