Snow, 2009

It felt like an early Christmas present having a coating of beautiful white snow to wake up to! Especially after the snow had made the journey down so "interesting".

We're kind of more used to the quickly-greying London variety - either than or it's already turned to slush!

When it's this cold and bright it's almost impossible to resist going for a walk. A dose of vitamin D, and the exercise all helps, and you feel good about making the effort.

It was so powdery, we were seriously considering buying snow-shoes! It's beautiful, but even trickier to walk on than sand!

We were amazed to see fruit still on the apple trees in M. Lorin's orchard. I had followed his instructions and helped myself in the autumn, but had left plenty of fruit that I couldn't reach.

I made a greater effort to get the damsons [for my damson gin => alchemy], but there's only so many apples one person can eat. They didn't last very long.

It amazes us to see the leftover grapes still on the vines - we would have thought the snow or frost would have caused them to drop off. But like the apples, they remain, looking like retro Christmas tree ornaments.

We have read of a wine than is only made when the grapes have been frosted on the vines. We suspect champagne grapes harvested at the usual time probably provides a better/safer income.

The pull up the hill behind the house makes me breathe heavily at the best of times; with the powder underfoot it seemed even harder - I wonder if that is why this is a favourite "photo opportunity"?

Possibly; but I still love the view from 2/3 the way up the slope!

The snow provides perfect camouflage for the sails of the wind turbines; you almost miss them at first. I know they are there, so am always looking for a good picture.

OK, I'll take a bad pic, on the offchance it might be alright. Either way, I'm looking forward to seeing dramatic clouds in juxtaposition with the turbines!

We saw this print in the snow: in my mind it's Snow Angel/Angel of Death. [I don't know how to notate that?]

It's a bird touchdown print - and does look like a snow angel, but knowing the only reason for a kestrel to come down like this is to pick up a tasty morsel, it's also an angel of death for the vole/shrew.

This was a view as we walked down the little road back to the village. [We'd had enough walking on the beautiful-but-hard-work powder and knew the road would be plowed!]

We ofter pass this way and think of the Alps - the little field higher up definitely looks like an alp (alpine pasture), and this scene reinforced that resemblance.

As it looked like a Christmas tree, it was also very Christmassy; just what we wanted!