Saturday, Dec 18th, 2010

We had ten inches of snow here, but we did go out at 7.55 a.m. - about twenty minutes before the official sunrise.
It was cold, just 28 F, but there was no wind at all. There was a light ground mist over the fields.
Nobody was about, so I let Miss Sophie off in the first field for the first time ever! She loved it, but the snow reached up to her elbows, so she did not roll.

We didn't make it to the ravens field or the tennis courts - wading in ten inches of snow is hard work for those not used to it - like, me ... Miss Sophie however was able to speed into the distance and forgot to come back until I said 'good bye, Sophie' and turned my back. Then she came!

Suddenly there was a huge roaring noise. One very large branch of a pine tree in the little stand next to the Horse Chestnut Avenue came crashing down. The snow load was too heavy. When it got to the floor, there was a large cloud of snow rising.

We waded back, and I removed the ten or more inches of snow from the hedge in the front garden. The snow load had made the hedge bent forward, way over the pavement. That was not safe for people walking past - and I didn't want my poor hedge to break either.

The rising sun painted all the snow-covered trees pink, I took some excellent pictures which  I may put here later. Right now I am worried that the telephon wires overhead may break, they look ten times their usual size, being enrobed with thick sheets of icy snow.

It is still exceedingly quiet, there is hardly any traffic. If we are spared more snow or rain, and if people stay indoors and don't compact the snow with their cars or feet so that it turns into ice, then hopefully we'll be able to wade to the ravens field tomorrow!