SHOULD HAVE STAYED IN BED

I should have known things weren't going to go well today when I opened the curtains to find the white stuff back in abundance. Not too deep and with what looked like a crumble topping from a recent fall of ice balls. I wasn't feeling great in anticipation of a two and a half hour dental appointment to prepare for a bridge/crown combo costing me a significant slice of my paltry savings. Snippet's early morning poo walk showed the snow to be manageable slush, so I decided to take the car while Origami Boy and partner went to school in the Land Rover. Halfway to town, my mobile rang and screeching to a halt, I answered to a very apologetic dental receptionist saying my procedure had been cancelled. About turn, cursing loudly, and home to finish painting the landing where we had mended a hole in the ceiling and stain blocked the water marks from a four year battle with infuriating and inexplicable ingress. All went well until I washed my brush and, without thinking, wiped it on what I thought was my painting trousers, forgetting I was wearing a rather nice long cashmere mix cardigan. Not so nice any more with its white emulsion streaks that had dried by the time I realised what I'd done. A glance out of the window while cursing loudly again raised panic as I noticed it was snowing again and I needed to get the car to the cattle grid onto the moor about half a mile away so as to avoid it being snowed in again. Quick change into non-painty clothes and a sprint to the car with Snippet. Two minutes to the cattle grid and a swift three point turn.....or not, as I found myself stuck in mud blocking the drive of the owners of the bungalow. More cursing as the wheels spun and a strange smell filled my nostrils. Half an hour later, having scoured the surrounding area for dead bracken and twigs to pack under the wheels and after a lot more cursing, I managed to back out and crunch the car into a low lying rock. More cursing. I parked, reversing off the road with more strange smells coming from the engine. Time to walk Snippet back. What could possibly go wrong? Within two minutes, I was crouching behind a gorse bush trying to shelter from an ice-ball blizzard. The word 'hail' doesn't cover it. Still near the road at this point, I was suddenly aware that a car was cruising past with its driver looking at me askance, clearing making a lavatorial assumption given my squatting position. Great. On-wards through sudden sunshine and upwards into gale force winds.  Bracing but manageable until a huge gust caught me off guard causing a stagger into a boggy puddle. Phew; just below the top of the welly but sadly, the back-draught suction effect as I pulled my foot out, caused me to crash forwards into the snowy long grass, scratching my head on a stray gorse branch. Loud cursing. Trudging up and over the hill into even stronger winds, I could see another blizzard coming fast. And there it was, sand-blasting my face with those ice-balls with nowhere to hide this time. My decision to run was misguided as I stumbled over the rough ground. Yes - down I went again, sliding on the ice-balls like ball bearings. At last, having heaved myself up again, I got to the bottom of the hill where the trees shelter me from both wind and horizontal flying ice-balls. How sweet - the few ponies sheltering here are neighing at each other I think to myself. Back home for a cup of tea and a well deserved slice of cake. An afternoon of ironing and trying to make Lasagne with the frozen bolognese sauce I forgot to take out of the freezer early enough, chipping at it violently to little effect. Time to take Trigger his hay before the school bus arrives. Ah - that neighing I couldn't quite trace had been him. The field is a mass of churned up hoof holes and slither marks in icy mud where he has been galloping about in his excitement. I give up. 

Here are some pretty ice puddles from yesterday though....

But these are from today....

These next two show how directional the snow had been in the night, sticking to the side of the trees, not resting gently on the tops of branches:

Here comes another blizzard!

Gorgeous Robin....

....and our delightful Mistle Thrush who is now a regular visitor

What can I say; it's not been the best of days but I've had worse. Hope your day was better! Until next time, here's Snippet with a stick in the snow......