It Snowed ~ Or Did It?

Hello friends!

It snowed last night.

We hardly ever get snow where I live. The last time we had any discernible snow was about 14 years ago when it snowed and it snowed. And it snowed. And it stuck with us for three long weeks. Long enough for the novelty to wear off.

Before that, I think the biggest snowfall we had was 1963. I had not long started primary school. and the school was shut for three days because the toilets froze over. We still talk about it all these decades on that's how often we get snow.

So last night close to midnight I got a surprise to see my garden lightly dusted as snow started to gently fall. ' Late though the hour was, I got my phone and took this photograph, just in case I thought I had imagined it when morning came.  I went online and posted it on Facebook. And lo and behold, my feed was full of photos of snow falling across the city. I was not the only one bringing proof that we did actually have snow.  We all knew it would be gone in an hour.  That's just the way it is here.

If we had a centimeter that's all we had. However, by this morning it had started to melt but then the temperature plummeted, and it has frozen. So my patio is now like a skating rink. I will not be venturing out on it today.

It's all geographic as I live on a peninsula, which sticks out just enough into what is the North Atlantic Drift, on the northerly reaches of the Gulf Stream. This elevates our temperature by an almost indiscernible amount. Yet it is enough to keep us relatively snow free unless it gets really bad in the rest of the country. Even three miles down the road, they can have a few inches of snow, and we get nothing.

Here are some photographs of the last time we had snow.  Some of the clouds were spectacular.

Roll on Spring now, the novelty of keeping warm has gone.  Unfortunately it seems this coming weekend sees us back in the land of gales and storms.

I also need to tell you that my air fryer makes perfect toast, in fact the crispiest and driest toast, the most delicious toast I've ever eaten.  I put it in the drawer on a rack on the Max Crisp setting and five minutes later I'm tucking in to the Best Toast EVER!  It doesn't even sweat on the plate.

Until next time.

Stay safe. Stay well. Stay warm.

Debbie.

Once Upon A Time ~~~

Gentle Reader ~~~ Once Upon A Long, Long Time Ago in a quaint and curious village nestling by the ocean deep and blue, once there came and once there was a miracle called Snow ~~~

The narrow roads of this bucolic village by the sea were lined with rows of quaint and quiet cottages; chapels, churches and farmsteads dotted and spotted the highways and byways; pretty, high~hedgerow flowered lanes ran hither and thither; and ancient ruins lie among the green and fertile fields; while salmon leapt in the rivers and lobsters swam wild in the sea. Where the great Atlantic Ocean and wide white sandy beaches stretched out along the feet of high cliff tops and sheep and cattle safely graze, the village sat gazing yonder to the west, over the big, blue ocean in all its moods of quiet peaceful calm and wildest fury thunder.

Then, one day, the sleepy, gentle village folk awoke from their night time slumber to see the green and pleasant land they knew so well quite strangely changed, dusted all in white, as if some giant hand above had shaken finest icing sugar all across the fields and furrows, the hills and valleys, and all that lay therein and round about.  All was white and muted and all glistened with a fine crystal dusting of snow ~~~

White flakes of snow fell slowly, steadily, silently, sifting and drifting down from the grey cloud brim full sky overhead and soon the dusting grew thicker and thicker; settled the snow all around on the ground until all was a blanket of white.

Children, woken early by the softly strange new light that only comes from snow, flew from their cosy and warm beds in eager anticipation of adventures ahead. Bowls full of hot, creamy porridge were devoured as fast as they could; feet wrapped in thick warm socks were pushed quick as a wink into waiting Wellington boots; woolly scarves, hats and mittens that had waited so patiently all the year long on the hat stand in the hall were donned; front doors flew open wide; muffled and bundled children, barely able to walk from the layers of clothes, poured forth into the slippery, snow covered streets eager to form battle lines ready for games of snowball fights, or to build snowmen, and even take a tin tray, or sled if you were lucky enough to own one, to the nearby hill to spend the morning sliding up and down, down and up, until it was time for lunch when homeward bound they trouped ready for a bowl of warming soup ~~~ Round Two to follow in the afternoon!

And all the while, the white flakes fell and drifted ~~~

So, Gentle Reader ~~~ As I sit in my living room looking out at an unseasonably warm mid December scene with murky grey sky and rain, I am reminiscing of a day, now five years past when we had our last decent snowfall ~~~ I long for snow; I live for snow; I am in love with snow; my heart cries out for snow; when I lived in Iceland we had plenty of snow from October through to March and even longer. I was one very happy snow bunny. Since I have returned to the west of the United Kingdom, we have only had snow once on our tiny peninsula that juts out into the Gulf Stream and this is why we seldom have snow that hangs around for more than a few hours. Overnight is a rare thing, but to have snow for more than a few days is very rare indeed.

The last time this very rare event happened was on December 21st 2010 and, of course, I went out with my camera. The light is magical when there is snow; the familiar becomes strange and all looks alien.  There is much fun to be had capturing the snow in images, as much if not more fun than when I was a child. I know I've shared these before, but begging your pardon I am sharing them again. After all, they instil much happiness as I dream of a White Christmas once more ~~~ it is unseasonably warm, and even in mid December the heating is off for most of the day. A rare thing indeed.

A Snow Angel

A typical Pembrokeshire tree transformed with snow

Dramatic clouds looking as mountains, stand behind the nearby outcrop

The furrows left by the plough in Autumn make a lovely pattern across the field

Miniature Alpine scene ~ just a few inches high ~ the sun setting in the west

A frozen gorse bud melting in the sun makes a magical ornament

The snow lasted for days and days ~~~ well over Christmas and into the New Year. It was a real treat for someone like me who loves snow so much.

Until next time

Sincerely yours
Deborah xoxo

Offerings of Poetry ~~~

Gentle Reader ~~~ Words only today, for I have been Spring Cleaning ~ are we allowed to say 'Spring' Cleaning ~~~ well I've been cleaning and clearing, New Year's Turning Out maybe? Along the way I found some long forgotten papers, folded up, yellow and faded, and no idea what lay within ~~~ so, with a little trepidation I carefully peeled them open and imagine my surprise to find poems I had written some years ago, some when I lived in Iceland and some I really don't remember when ~~~

~~~A long time ago, I had another online journal, Tales from a Celtic Heart and I shared a link to my Flickr Iceland album, which you can find here ~ so if you want, you can have a look at some of the pictures of Iceland that I took.  They are proper 35 mm film, and about 20 years old, so are grainy and gently faded, but full of character, and greatly loved and treasured for I was happy as a polar bear in snow when I lived in Iceland~~~

So, I am going to be brave and share, copy some of those long forgotten words here, and I will see what memories they bring for me ~~~

Iceland is a land of water, surrounded by water, with shining, shimmering water everywhere you look ~~~ you cannot avoid the water ~~~ rivers, lakes, waterfalls that will take your breath away ~~~ frozen water, glaciers, and snow ~~~ 

WATERS OF ICELAND

Silver, sprightful threads

Dancing in the breeze;

Cascading waters tumble

To the river far below and

Meander to the sea

Gushing, grubby torrents

Tearing headlong through the land

Spew forth from mighty glaciers

Ever~changing courses

Charging to the sea

~~~~~

Þingvellir {pronounced Thingvedlir} was one of my favourite places to visit. Part of the Golden Circle it is the site of the oldest parliament, the Althing, and sits across the mid~Atlantic Ridge.  In my heart, I always felt very 'Middle Earth' when visiting this special place, and this was my tribute twenty years ago ~~~

THINGVELLIR

Silent you lie, in dreams of long ago;

Lives have been born and lost on your shore.

Here did the Settlers make their laws work;

Here Christianity first made it's mark.

Oxarafoss, the toy of the gods

Tumbles and falls over moss covered rocks

To Dreykinggar as it waits far below

Where many a sharp, scolding tongue did go.

Almannagata, that gate of all men

Stands high, overlooking Thingvellir plain,

Here Njal fought with friend against foe

Within the rift, formed so long ago.

Here East meets West, near the Shores of your Lake

~~~~~

Of course, there was snow ~ many kinds of snow ~ and for over half the year snow was a fact of life, something that you dealt with every time you left your apartment, so this is my little ditty about snow in Iceland ~~~

NORTH WINDS SNOW

The North Wind is blowing

and there will be snow e're long.

It howls and it moans about our heads,

It squeaks in the cracks, wakes us up in our beds,

The snow starts to fall in the shimmering light;

When we wake up tomorrow, all will be white.

The shovels and scrapers wake up with alarm,

Winter is here boys, get up now and arm!

We've slept for six months, but now is our time ~~~

The paths must be cleared, it is our time to shine!

The children can't wait for school to be out,

To "Deadman's" they'll rush, with a scream and a shout,

Up the hill, down the hill, up once again,

Soon Mom will be calling, "It's time to come in!"

The snow plough is out, Two Alpha's arrived

Sent home from work, in our homes we must hide.

Hope we've got food in, I don't want to starve,

The Commiss'ry's closed and the wind's blowing hard.

For the time it is over, the roads are all clear,

But it will be back, soon enough, don't you fear!

All Winter long the North Wind will blow,

And time after time, we shall have snow.

~~~~~

Well, there you have some of my poetry now.  I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I remember writing it ~~~ already I am editing the words I wrote! I have some more, but will save them for another day.  Sorry, I know I promised you the recipe for the Marzipan Mincemeat Palmiers, and I haven't forgotten, I just wanted to share these words and it, somehow, didn't seem right to share the recipe with the poetry ~~~ it will be shared very soon, I promise you.