And then it really snowed.
Monday was just the tease. The predicted snow came on Friday morning as Phoebe was leaving to get her school bus. Light small dry floaty flakes at 7.15am. 'See you later' called Phoebe at 7.30am slamming the door, and the snow was falling steadily, settling, and setting a quiet over everything....
The schools had said watch for e-mails, check facebook or their websites. By 8.21am Tom's school had announced it was closed for the day. Just as well we were running late then, or I'd have driven 10 miles there and back for nothing... and by 12.30pm, and a good 4 inches (that's 10cm in new money) and no sign of it stopping, my boss told me that all libraries in the county were closing at 1pm, to ensure staff got home safely. Our library only opens from 2-5pm on a Friday anyway, so that's a free day off then.... I love my job! yippee!
The road outside our house didn't look all that clever. There was so little traffic that the snow was settling, and the gritters only went past at around 3pm. I know this as we were sledging down the hill in the park opposite our house, and I heard them and saw the flashing lights through the park hedge.
Phoebe's school sent them home after lunch, so naturally I dug out the ski-gear and we headed to the slopes.
We're lucky where we live because the park opposite our house is 6 acres, with some hedged off formal/childrens' play/no dogs allowed, and 2 tennis courts and a bowling club/green. The rest is on the slopes of Chain Hill and free access where mostly dog walkers exercise their dogs/themselves and where the Council used to maintain a 9 hole practice golf course (I don't know the par, but it looked tricky because it's on a hill).
When I say used to, they've not looked after it for a couple of years, budget cutbacks and all that. Whilst this may be a drawback to the few who used this amenity, the upside of the neglect is that the now overgrown bunkers make good obstacles for the sledgers, and test the ingenuity of the snowboarders(!) I saw who banked the bunker bank up with snow to make a jump, and jumped (with joy) over(off?) it.
It's been a few years now since we went ski-ing. I keep doing the lottery (you never know..), but don't see us going this year. So digging the ski-gear out of the blanket box where it's stored was a bit painful. As ever, watching the pennies I pick up things for the children in charity shops when I see them, and try not to put on weight myself. So I was pleased to be still able to fit into my snowboarding trousers. Phoebe tried on the last pair of salopettes I'd squirreled away, and they fit quite nicely, but alas, there was nothing for Tom.
Well, he's already wearing a hand-me-down ski jacket from Beatrice (don't ask!), but last year he'd had an all-in-one ski suit, which had become tight across the shoulders, so had been passed onto his cousins before Christmas. I hadn't realised that there were no trousers for him at all. So he wore his jeans with his snow-boots (which I'd bought, new!, before Christmas), and a pair of long shorts on top. He doesn't even have waterproof over trousers, for goodness sake! What kind of country Mum are you? Not the proper kind, obviously.
Still, it didn't stop them. We hit the park at 2.30pm and returned home, worn out and wet at 4.30pm. They'll sleep well tonight I thought to myself.
Simon had missed all the fun of course. He'd managed to get up to London for his meeting, and had borrowed my camera, so I couldn't take photos. He's gone off to USA today for the week, for a new product launch. Rather him than me, travelling's not glamourous. He was up at 4.10am (to account for the weather/travel disruption) to get to Gatwick for his flight. So I had today booked off work as holiday to look after the children, as Saturday mornings I'm usually out 9am-1pm. So that made a nice change.
More sledging this afternoon (after chores in the morning), and the snow had frozen overnight and was much faster today. We got the wooden framed sledge down from the attic and gave it it's first outing. Great fun, and that old-fashioned design is a classic. 'Nowt wrong wi' that' as they'd say 'up north'.
I was rather taken with the hard frost that morning. More snow forecast for tomorrow and Tuesday, so we'll see if life really grinds to a halt. I've got Monday off work as need to collect Tom from school in Simon's absence, and then back to usual routine.
Best turn in, it was an early alarm this morning, and I need my (beauty) sleep or I'm fit for nothing the next day.
ttfn, Kat. :)
Monday was just the tease. The predicted snow came on Friday morning as Phoebe was leaving to get her school bus. Light small dry floaty flakes at 7.15am. 'See you later' called Phoebe at 7.30am slamming the door, and the snow was falling steadily, settling, and setting a quiet over everything....
The schools had said watch for e-mails, check facebook or their websites. By 8.21am Tom's school had announced it was closed for the day. Just as well we were running late then, or I'd have driven 10 miles there and back for nothing... and by 12.30pm, and a good 4 inches (that's 10cm in new money) and no sign of it stopping, my boss told me that all libraries in the county were closing at 1pm, to ensure staff got home safely. Our library only opens from 2-5pm on a Friday anyway, so that's a free day off then.... I love my job! yippee!
The road outside our house didn't look all that clever. There was so little traffic that the snow was settling, and the gritters only went past at around 3pm. I know this as we were sledging down the hill in the park opposite our house, and I heard them and saw the flashing lights through the park hedge.
Phoebe's school sent them home after lunch, so naturally I dug out the ski-gear and we headed to the slopes.
We're lucky where we live because the park opposite our house is 6 acres, with some hedged off formal/childrens' play/no dogs allowed, and 2 tennis courts and a bowling club/green. The rest is on the slopes of Chain Hill and free access where mostly dog walkers exercise their dogs/themselves and where the Council used to maintain a 9 hole practice golf course (I don't know the par, but it looked tricky because it's on a hill).
When I say used to, they've not looked after it for a couple of years, budget cutbacks and all that. Whilst this may be a drawback to the few who used this amenity, the upside of the neglect is that the now overgrown bunkers make good obstacles for the sledgers, and test the ingenuity of the snowboarders(!) I saw who banked the bunker bank up with snow to make a jump, and jumped (with joy) over(off?) it.
It's been a few years now since we went ski-ing. I keep doing the lottery (you never know..), but don't see us going this year. So digging the ski-gear out of the blanket box where it's stored was a bit painful. As ever, watching the pennies I pick up things for the children in charity shops when I see them, and try not to put on weight myself. So I was pleased to be still able to fit into my snowboarding trousers. Phoebe tried on the last pair of salopettes I'd squirreled away, and they fit quite nicely, but alas, there was nothing for Tom.
Well, he's already wearing a hand-me-down ski jacket from Beatrice (don't ask!), but last year he'd had an all-in-one ski suit, which had become tight across the shoulders, so had been passed onto his cousins before Christmas. I hadn't realised that there were no trousers for him at all. So he wore his jeans with his snow-boots (which I'd bought, new!, before Christmas), and a pair of long shorts on top. He doesn't even have waterproof over trousers, for goodness sake! What kind of country Mum are you? Not the proper kind, obviously.
Still, it didn't stop them. We hit the park at 2.30pm and returned home, worn out and wet at 4.30pm. They'll sleep well tonight I thought to myself.
Simon had missed all the fun of course. He'd managed to get up to London for his meeting, and had borrowed my camera, so I couldn't take photos. He's gone off to USA today for the week, for a new product launch. Rather him than me, travelling's not glamourous. He was up at 4.10am (to account for the weather/travel disruption) to get to Gatwick for his flight. So I had today booked off work as holiday to look after the children, as Saturday mornings I'm usually out 9am-1pm. So that made a nice change.
More sledging this afternoon (after chores in the morning), and the snow had frozen overnight and was much faster today. We got the wooden framed sledge down from the attic and gave it it's first outing. Great fun, and that old-fashioned design is a classic. 'Nowt wrong wi' that' as they'd say 'up north'.
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| hard frost in Wantage Park, December 2012 |
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| the old golf course is the other side of the central avenue of beech trees... |
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| that dog again! |
Best turn in, it was an early alarm this morning, and I need my (beauty) sleep or I'm fit for nothing the next day.
ttfn, Kat. :)
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