First Snow

The first snow of the year has fallen. I awoke this norning to silent flurries of snow muffling the sound of the traffic on the road. As the cars were sooshing by I was looking out of my bedroom window nervously anticipating the journey to work. I am sure if I had not had those few misfortunate events early in my driving career, that I would be approaching the journey less with trepidation and more with gustso and joi de vivre!

....interlude whilst I take a call......oh no. Just been offered the opportunity (dubiously) to go to Diss for a meeting at short notice - travelling is horrid in snow at the best of times;luckily the lady is now coming to me...phew. I couldn't bear another car fiasco (did I mention the wrong fuel escapade last week? 200 quid I tell you - 200 quid!! to pump my tank - that was all my birthday money that Mum gave me)

Anyway, back to tye snow - I have new boots too and the scenes in the area look amazing. Silent drifts of snow are perching on tree boughs and old buildings remind me of Victorian Christmas cards; it really is beautiful. I love snow - absolutely love it. The joy of curling up in front of a fire and snuggling in for winyer with my Deanie (wish we had a fire at the moment - waiting for flue to be put in; freezing feet and the feeling of warmth tingle on through them; the little flutter as you get to wear your favourite scarf and know that this time it will be put to real use as it fends of the blustery cold; like I said, I love snow. Just not when I drive in it wwhen all the tight knots in my stomach feel like they will explode and I worry about not stopping and hitting cars and finally losing my freedom as I am relegated to lifts with friends and public transport; dictating to me what I can do and when.

I love watching the snow flurry in earnest to settle on the ground so I can run through it and make the first footprints, like the times I used to share with my old dog Mickey, when the snow would settle on his whiskers and he would look like a wisened old man. I love the snow then, as I rememeber all the times I had my escapades as a child, including running out and getting tonsillitus as I picked up the snow with such joy and then felt ill for days.

Snow is a double edged sword - beautiful and a real pleasure but painful and, can be deadly. It can cause fear and joy all at once which is always brought back to our minds with the fisrt snowfall of the year.

Do I still love the snow? Maybe, I just love snow most of the time just not when I have to travel very far. Yes, that's it, I love snow, nearly all the time.....