Monday 26 December 2016

A Boxing Day Stroll in the Snow


An exceptionally mild Christmas Day (+12C at 2pm) ended with snow flurries and zero degrees towards midnight, making it a White Christmas, just. Definitely a white Boxing Day though as the snow continued through the night and into the morning, driven across the fields by a very strong wind. In the afternoon the clouds began to break and the snow now came in brief sharp showers that were interspersed with blue skies. The wind remained strong and the air was bitter and stinging. A real winter day.


A stroll round the fields and woods proved invigorating. In places the snow was just deep enough to make walking a touch difficult. The ground underneath was soft though, the snow sinking into mud in the damper spots. Tracks of rabbits and pheasants laced the snow but nothing much moved. Just a flurry of rooks scattering into the air from the hay wagons put out for the cows, which stood around looking mournful. Some had broken through a decripit gate and fence and taken shelter in the wood. I'd have done the same if I hadn't a warm house waiting not far away.


The day wound down with easing winds and a touch of colour before the sun finally disappeared into thick clouds. The forecast is for the winds to return and the last week's stormy rapid freeze/thaw cycle to continue into the New Year. No high hills for a while I think.


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