Outside, fog was gathering. Inside, we were putting up the Christmas decorations. Looking through the window, I was amazed to see a glinting bauble on a leaning spear of teasel. The bauble moved, revealing itself as a goldfinch. A pair feeding on the teasel seeds were soon joined by two more birds, so that the garden seemed to be strung with red and gold streamers. Colourful, musical, graceful, sociable, goldfinches really raise the spirits. Even the thickening fog couldn’t extinguish them as they rode the swaying stems.