Cotoneaster hedge

 

An icy sunrise

 

A frosty start

 

Minus 12 degrees

The above picture became an Editor’s Pick for the BBCWEATHERWATCHERS 

Early morning frost

Last light of the day

Hard Frost

In the Forest

Snow walk

Call us mad but we still needed to walk Flora so we set off dressed as if we were attempting reaching the North Pole. And discovered a snowplowing tractor or two had been hard at work. Full kudos to Scottish Borders Council! 

Snowed In

We are snowed in completely now, due to the Beast from the East. This morning we could not even reach our gate due to the high snow mounts in our driveway. When we dug that far I grabbed the phone and ventured out with my very highest boots on. Even so, my legs got covered in snow. I got a little bit up the lane, enough to take the above picture but as you can see in the foreground the mounts of snow proved too high to overcome. Our lane will require a JCB to dig it out!

Above the view from the old railway bridge down to the old railway line and the forest beyond. You can see how deep it is by the fencing. There was zero chance to get there. All we have been able to do is dig some pathways in our courtyard so we could feed the birds (some were knocking on the windows to alert us to the no food present situation) and to let Flora do her business.

Fortunately we have each other, enough fuel to keep us going and miracle of miracle we still have power. The worst of the weather is supposed to be over (although it keeps on snowing regularly) and we have gone from a red to an amber weather warning, however the snow will still be with us for quite some time to come.

This too shall pass, but not any time soon!

Drifting snow

We’re snowed in for the moment and due to drifting snow the dog walk was curtailed as in places the snow was higher than the dog. We are getting our exercise from snow shovelling!

Snowstorms

A wealth of snowdrops

Snowdrops in the Snow

Snow and Ice

This looks very deceptive. Instead of nice soft snow this is rock hard frozen ice. Walking felt more like an Olympic sport than a gentle pastime this morning

An icy wind

Snow, ice and sunshine

And the afternoon walk was amazing too:

Walking into a Christmas Card

It was a beautiful sunny morning. There had been a little dusting of snow overnight to cover the snow and ice that were there already, and walking out into the forest felt like entering a Christmas card. A very romantic one!

There were many fox trails but for the first part of the walk to the top of the forest we had the place to ourselves. Later we met some other intrepid dog walkers and some dog biscuits exchanged hands much to Flora's delight.

Above and at the top of this post is what I refer to as the viewpoint; the highest spot in the forest from where you could once see the top of our house. The trees are now too tall but it remains my favourite place in the forest specially on a gorgeous day like today because the sun illuminates it in all it's glory.

the fire pond

Down in the depths of the forest is the fire pond. It serves a useful function should there be a forest fire but it's in a dark and gloomy place. Today however the sun caught a part of it too and that together with the powdery snow on top of the frozen water made it look very scenic.

Frozen Sunshine

Big Trees, Little Dog, Lots of Snow

There is a sense of melancholy when you know you and your little dog are entirely on your own in a snowy forest. A magical sense of feeling that you have landed in another place and another time; a place you never visited and a time in which you haven't lived.  A pervading sense of heimwee, sehnsucht, saudade; a feeling for which there is no word in English.

I felt overwhelmed with it during the entire dog walk, when our feet and paws made the only fresh impressions in the snow that had fallen overnight. It was still soft and powdery and every little bit of wind made it come wafting from the trees like icing sugar.

We had the wood to ourselves and it almost proved too much for me. It was a walk back in time, lost in thoughts. I could have been alive in the Middle Ages or in some future ice age. It might have been the scene for a Scandinavian Noir thriller or Smilla's Sense of Snow. It was untouched and full of promise of a better and cleaner world.

It made me feel both ecstatic and very sad, full of hope and of tristesse, and I felt both enough and greatly lacking.

Both images and words can't cover my feelings and thoughts during this very special walk. I was profoundly grateful to be alive and exactly here in this forest during this moment. It was both timeless and eternal, and yes, it made me cry.

This is a for me very personal post and I wasn't sure whether or not I wanted to blog it. Normally I would leave it as a draft but this time I will click that Publish button. I'm often asked where I get my inspiration from and it is from moments like these.

And here are two pictures from this afternoon’s walk that was just as magical