Joining in again this week with Sunday Sevens – started by Nathalie at Threads and Bobbins – sharing seven (or so) pictures of the week beyond the blog.
The week began bright and sunny, but with a bitter cold wind. I’d agreed to ride the nine miles to the station on Sunday morning with Lovely Husband. But I when got out of bed, I took one look at the trees swaying violently and volunteered to drive while he cycled. I met him at the station cafe and, while he had a massive breakfast, I had a pot of tea, followed by a three mile walk, while he cycled home.
Too cold to do the weeding on Sunday, but determined to do some gardening, I cleared up the wind-blow debris from paths in our small copse of trees.
Despite the cold, I managed to put my washing out for the first time this year, three times in all. Even the jeans dried in the sunshine and strong east wind.
While we had clear sunny skies at the start of the week, the weather forecasters were following ‘The Beast from the East’ – a Siberian snow storm that was heading for the UK and causing the strong winds we were experiencing. They were also tracking storm Emma, rising from the south, and predicting they would collide over the South West on Wednesday.
Wednesday came and went with only a flurry of snow, but it was so bitterly cold (minus 13 with the wind chill) we drove to the pub for the quiz. Only six other brave souls turned up, so we split into two teams – boys vs girls, with LH being and honorary girl. Of course, with girls being so much smarter than boys, the girls won – despite the men gaining an extra team member half way through and getting help from the bar staff.
Thursday night we woke up to only a little snow, but were informed we were going onto a red weather alert at 3pm – in plain English that meant blizzard conditions, don’t go out, danger to life.
However, the wind was already so strong, our small log shed blew over well before 3pm…
At almost three o’clock exactly, the wind upped several gears and, although the snow that was falling was only very fine – and the camera couldn’t really pick it up in photos – there was so much of it. I got soaked just leaving the house for a minute to change to birds’ frozen water.
There was nothing to be done, but stay in, knit and watch the snow build up. Okay I work from home, but it was still a snow day.
After a very very cold night, we woke up to a sight that at first didn’t look too bad, because the wind had blown the snow almost completely off some of the lawn. On investigation most of the garden was 5/6 inches deep in snow. There was also alot of drifting. Here’s what met me at the back door…
This drift on our drive was three foot high.
Reports flowed from the news of people stuck in cars, lorries and trains over night, snow drifts blocking roads all around us and the army being called out to help.
With another snow day, there was nothing to do but head out for a lunchtime rendezvous with our next door neighbours in the pub. On the walk down we spotted a huge bough that had broken off a tree at the hotel four houses down from us…
…. and chest high snow drifts on the cycle route…
At the pub everyone else had burger and chips…
While I had salad and fish cake.
Having completed an almost dry January and a completely dry February, after lunch I treated myself to a glass of wine – that went immediately to my head.
The snow was already beginning to melt on Friday afternoon and it was raining on Saturday morning, but there was still plenty of snow about when we went for a walk after lunch.
With so much snow still around, it was definitely time for an impromptu get together in the evening with our next door neighbours to share provisions.
Hope you’ve had a great week and the weather has treated you kindly.
On the subject of being strong, I’m also still on course for a dry February – even resisting wine at Thursday night’s Knit and Sip evening…
