Snow!

OK, I'll start with an apology to my Canadian friends and everyone else around the world who reads this blog and copes with snow without drama, but here in the UK, this much snow is a big deal! Us Brits just aren't used to it. A dusting of icing sugar proportions will make the news so you can imagine how several inches is bringing us to a standstill. School's been closed since Friday and we've had no collections or deliveries of post either. Of course there is a small person here, who's never seen snow like this before and is quite delighted that school is shut!


This is the track that leads from the village to our house.



This bank is much steeper than it looks in these photos. I thought she'd be too nervous to sledge down, but no! it was me doing the most squealing.


Back at home, the big trees in the garden are covered with a blanket of powdery snow. The weight has broken some branches and we've had to prop up the old cotinus tree to stop more of it snapping under the load.




After a night of -13C we've woken up to these amazing icicles and incredible curls of snow that have slipped from the roof and then refrozen.


It's impossible to convey a sense of scale but these ones are over 2 feet long. I need to make sure there's no-one underneath when they finally slip off the roof!


My car is somewhere under this epic toupee of snow. 


I couldn't resist sticking my quilting ruler in - 8 inches! Baby snow if you're used to it, but very exciting when you're not. But it's been 5 days now, and we're getting bored of it, so if it would all just melt now that would be great.


If you've got cold weather do stay safe and warm. And don't forget to feed the garden birds!

Love Laura
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Comments

  1. Don't forget, the beautiful icicles could mean you are losing heat through your roof and eaves! I am glad I am here in England where this snow doesn't last 5 or 6 months like where I grew up. It piled at the sides of the long drive, so we were able to dig snow tunnels, too. ;-)
    Have fun! Have you done snow angels or snow forts from which you have great snowball fights?
    Sandy in Bracknell

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    1. No snow angels or forts today, it's been too cold to venture out. We opted for movies inside instead! We're super insulated so I think the icicles are snow slip are from a partial thaw in the sunshine before the big re-freeze came last night. We renovated our house and this has been the first proper test of the insulation we added - we've only needed the heating on for a couple of hours and the house has stayed toasty so I guess it was worth the investment after all! Phew!

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  2. That is a lot of snow, especially considering that snow is a rare beast there. Feeding the birds is my year round hobby and in winter, watching them is better than TV. This year I have a hummingbird who decided not to fly south. I might as well have cows since I am up before dawn to take out the sugar syrup feeder and bring it in every night to keep it from freezing. I am trusting the hummingbird knows more about the weather than I do. Something fun for the little one to do is to make peanut butter covered pine cones or bird pudding cut outs for the birds. (peanut butter, lard, seeds, oatmeal, cornmeal) Stay warm!

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    1. I am so envious of hummingbirds in the garden! We have some beautiful birds here, but hummingbirds are just magical don't you think? I was lucky enough to see them when I was in West Coast Canada once. The pinecone feeder is a great idea, Amelie will love to make some. I better stock up on the ingredients!

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  3. Whoa look at that snow. This Canadian reader needs to warn you that you have ice dams on your rooves which can lead to damage. Here’s a link to peruse https://www.dangeloandsons.com/ice-dam-removal-and-prevention-tips

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    1. Hi Jean, We're lucky in that the British weather is nothing if not changeable. We've woken this morning to the sound of drip, drip, drip and our magnificent icicles and snow blanket is gone from the roof!

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  4. Laura, loved the pics of your winter wonderland. I am one of those Canadians living on, what should be, the frosty and snowy western prairies. After an initial blast of winter, we have been basking in +14C temperatures instead of the normal -C temps. Send us your snow when you tire of it! ❄️ It is not feeling very much like Christmas 🎄 here.

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