Snow is falling

Snow is falling all around me,

children playing, having fun.

It's the season of love and understanding,

Merry Christmas everyone!

I've sung that one with The Ukes uv Azzard a time or eight over the past few weeks, never imagining that it really might snow. But early yesterday morning it began, and it didn't stop for several hours.

Most 'sensible' grown-ups that I know cancelled their plans to attend church or feast at a pub and stayed indoors, telling themselves how awful it was outside. But this big kid was having none of it. As soon as the Sunday Roast had been devoured I joined the children playing, having fun then drove into the Forest of Dean for some fun of my own. 

It was lovely, but the sky was still grey and a premature darkness was falling. One guy, clearly concerned about this mad woman, warned me that the heavily rutted roads would soon be freezing, so gingerly I made my way down to Parkend and its deserted station, then headed for home...

... but then along came the Santa Special at Whitecroft. Happily, I waved to the passengers.  Merry Christmas everyone!

Today the skies turned blue, the sun shone and the whole forest took on a stunning beauty, the like of which I have truly never seen before. Back into the forest I drove, parked Bluebird just off-road in a moderate-sized snowdrift (what fun!) and set out on foot to record the scene. 

You can just glimpse Bluebird in the distance on the right. Happily, extracting her from her snowdrift posed no serious problems. I simply remembered what I'd learned after (frequently) running aground with a narrowboat – reverse out the way you came in.  Easy.