Snow, and yet more snow

Impossible as it may seem - but, I am beginning to think that I am about to be snowed in yet again. It suddenly started snowing at about 11 this morning, and hasn't stopped since.

Luckily the senior daughter left for London as it started to snow -she has gone down for London Fashion Week, so it would have been a total disaster if she had been snowed in here. I gather she had an eventful drive along the lanes towards the M1, but arrived safely in London eventually.

I wrapped myself up and the dogs and I trudged out to give my sheep hay and their special sugar beet nuts - they looked so funny, the snow was settling on their thick coats, on their eyebrows and eyelashes, as they thundered towards me, pushing each other out of the way in their headlong flight to food. Billy flew along behind me, and tried to catch the nuts as I flung them over the gate. Maud picked her way sedately over the snow, disgust written all over her face. I had shut the kitchen door behind us so she could not get back into the house. She hates snow, cold, rain, and tries to nip back inside at the first opportunity. Billy loves the snow, and races across the lawns and round the gsrden at speed, ears flapping, tail whipping.

By the time I had chopped some kindling for the fire, and piled logs up for the baskets, the three of us were covered in snow, cold and running for cover.
I cannot believe this weather - I wouldn't mind it so much if I didn't live down the bottom of a steep lane, which makes it almost impossible to drive my car out up into the village. Damn front wheel drive cars. Roll on the ancient Land Rover for future winters!

I have spent the rest of the day working my way through a huge pile of ironing - lurking in the bottom of one of the baskets were various articles of clothing that the younger daughter and I had taken to Cornwall in September. Almost time to wear them again! The family room is cosy, the fire glowing, the dogs are curled up in their baskets, and there is barely a sound to be heard. The house settles down whenever the senior daughter departs, and I relish the peace - but I know that when she returns to New York in March, I will be immeasurably sad.

Appropriately I can hear Vivaldi's Winter in the background on the wireless. I think it is time for hot marmite toast and Earl Grey tea. I am counting my blessings that I am not commuting home from work this evening - in a few hours, I will pull down the blinds and settle down for the evening with a glass of wine, a plate of risotto, and then a good book to read.