It's been a dry but bitterly cold day today. (-18C recorded in a shed in Wales last night.)
Dawn was breaking as Peter drove me up the hill this morning. My brave little micra had been sitting up there exposed to the elements since last Thursday night yet it started first go. Took me longer to scrape the ice off the windows so that I could actually see where I was going.
School now is all about Christmas- rehearsals, costumes, glitter and glue. I did manage to combine maths with decoration making and was rather taken aback by how difficult many of my class found drawing and cutting out squares of set sizes (on squared paper). Obviously they need a lot more practice. Later we were all happily involved in an art afternoon so much so that I nearly forgot to send them out to play. Then I thought it was Tuesday and stood out in the cold on playground duty (we often choose to stay outside and chat rather than sit in the staffroom but today a coffee would have been my choice.) Driving out of town it was as if the snow and ice had never been. I was trying to decide if I should leave my car up at the top anyway in case the weather worsened during the night when I realised that either side of the road the verge was covered in ice/snow. This was at Shirwell which is my first high point on the homeward journey and is north facing. I was thinking that leaving the car up top would be a good precaution when I turned off the main road into the back roads. The road surface appeared to be a lot lighter than I remembered. Was this just my aging faulty memory, dried mud from the farm vehicles or ICE ? I decided to err on the side of caution slowing down and thinking that at least I would be ok while travelling in a straight line. I kept peering at the road and came to the conclusion that it was icing over so drove extra carefully around the corners. On the last hill crest there was also a thick central ridge of ice along the road which rang warning bells in my cautious mind. Driving all the way down the hill would have been quite safe but who knows what it would be like tomorrow morning. Walking down the last stretch in the dark I could see that the fields either side of me were still totally white. I'll catch a lift up with Peter in the morning and not spend the night worrying. The tv news is full of pictures of snow covered landscapes and warnings not to drive in the affected areas unless necessary.
Dawn was breaking as Peter drove me up the hill this morning. My brave little micra had been sitting up there exposed to the elements since last Thursday night yet it started first go. Took me longer to scrape the ice off the windows so that I could actually see where I was going.
School now is all about Christmas- rehearsals, costumes, glitter and glue. I did manage to combine maths with decoration making and was rather taken aback by how difficult many of my class found drawing and cutting out squares of set sizes (on squared paper). Obviously they need a lot more practice. Later we were all happily involved in an art afternoon so much so that I nearly forgot to send them out to play. Then I thought it was Tuesday and stood out in the cold on playground duty (we often choose to stay outside and chat rather than sit in the staffroom but today a coffee would have been my choice.) Driving out of town it was as if the snow and ice had never been. I was trying to decide if I should leave my car up at the top anyway in case the weather worsened during the night when I realised that either side of the road the verge was covered in ice/snow. This was at Shirwell which is my first high point on the homeward journey and is north facing. I was thinking that leaving the car up top would be a good precaution when I turned off the main road into the back roads. The road surface appeared to be a lot lighter than I remembered. Was this just my aging faulty memory, dried mud from the farm vehicles or ICE ? I decided to err on the side of caution slowing down and thinking that at least I would be ok while travelling in a straight line. I kept peering at the road and came to the conclusion that it was icing over so drove extra carefully around the corners. On the last hill crest there was also a thick central ridge of ice along the road which rang warning bells in my cautious mind. Driving all the way down the hill would have been quite safe but who knows what it would be like tomorrow morning. Walking down the last stretch in the dark I could see that the fields either side of me were still totally white. I'll catch a lift up with Peter in the morning and not spend the night worrying. The tv news is full of pictures of snow covered landscapes and warnings not to drive in the affected areas unless necessary.
1 comment:
I always enjoy your sunset photographs. Our house is tucked down between hills and though very private and sheltered from the Wellington winds, we don't have an expansive outlook or view. I'm always at home in the evening with the children, so miss the sunsets at the beach, only a ten minute walk away. In winter I must make the most of the early, 5pm, sunset and walk down to the beach with the girls.
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