There are other pictures I intend to post, but in the meantime new visions occurred!
Yesterday morning I went out briefly to get the latest Covid booster but for the rest of the day I remained at home and Nature laid on a show that had me running in and out.
Yesterday’s ups and downs were quite spectacular.
We had all-day snow squalls.
At times we almost had a whiteout.
But there was never an accumulation on the ground.
And this was not what the media calls a “snow event”.
Just a small reminder that Winter approaches.
While it is my favourite season, Winter does have its drawbacks.
After all, who would want perfection?
How boring that would be.
.
Feeling cold. I really don’t like being cold, in most circumstances.
Such as in the winter of 62/63 when I had returned to a British boarding school, after 6 years in South East Asia.
The coldest winter in 200 years.
.
.
0738/18th November 2022
What I particularly did not like were mornings when, clad only in shorts and an aertex shirt, I found myself on the sports field with a hockey stick.
Sporty I never was and I was not motivated to like hockey. I was perished, so I raced around the field, hockey stick held in front of me, much to the alarm of our teacher who was Italian:
“Caroleen! Yoo weel keel sambadee!” She took the precaution of making me the goalie and I stood miserably watching the disarray of the team that never required me to so much as move.
But there was a light moment, even then. Mrs Landolfi had a pet corgi that was a much better player than any of us. It raced onto the field and made off with the puck.
“Oh how nice!” everyone said, when they heard I was to be at school in Devonshire. “It’s mild down there”.
Not that winter, it wasn’t!
At Christmas I was with a friend in Ashburton, adjacent to Dartmoor which was deeply snow-covered.
Perhaps it was that brief experience that kindered my liking for Winter. The cottage where I stayed was cozy and full of the fragrance of apple.
The lady I was staying with was Roman Catholic, so toward midnight, we walked in the snow, through the village to the church. It was picture perfect.
Afterwards, it was back to the school dorm, with frozen water pipes and Sunday walks in a howling gale along the cliffs.
That was never my cup of tea.
In the 60’s when I first came to New York, winters were bitter and I didn’t much care for waiting around in frozen parking lots for buses, or meeting flights out on the wind swept tarmac at JFK.
But when I was outside by choice, walking on a frozen beach, feeding birds, or watching snow drifting in a blizzard, I was happy to be cold.
People though we were a bit mad, when my friend Tim arranged for us to take an Antarctic cruise, but it was one of the saner trips I ever took.
It wasn’t even all that cold and after each brief outing onto a frozen shore, we repaired to the warm ship where we were greeted with hot spiced wine. It alone was worth getting cold for!
There was nothing in the least intrepid about that expedition.
Many years later sadly, that ship sank in Antarctica and for those particular cruise passengers, it was a real event.
Admittedly, I would not have cared for that.
Determined to have a good time in the Falklands!
Adelie penguins, Paulett Island, December 1984.
I love the idea of an Antarctic trip and think a cruise might hit the spot! I imagine that when you went they were very much a rarity!
There were two American companies that did the trip and you could travel on a Russian ship but that was about it unless you were attached to one of the research stations. We got the trip at a very discounted price because we were “industry related”. Those tiny ships were special, just 100 passengers (if full which they were often were but we only got to go when the cruises had not sold out). The companies were responsible and very aware of the environment. Then, inevitably, the idea became popular and there was money to be made. Bigger ships, more passengers…etc. Both “our” little ships sank…sort of ironic. We were so lucky to have done what we did.
Yes, it is a shame that by wishing to see raw nature, we are helping to denude it! 🙁 I am envious but pleased for you that you went when you did! 🙂
Thank you, Carolyn, for a better spirited post, the interesting study of clouds, and the lovely, cosy cottage scented with apples.
Joanna,
I remember that winter of 62/63. I walked to school partly on the tops of hawthorn hedges!
I don’t like being cold either … but would love to experience a snow day (note, a day, not a week/month) 😀. I like that photo of the birds huddling in a circle on the seed tray … almost as much as I like the throwback pictures of 1984!
Ever since I started driving, I have hated snow. My best years are when there is no snow at all where I live, even though Ollie loves snow. I am a ‘Snow-Grump’! I would love to see the Antarctic, but as I get awfully seasick, that will never happen.
Best wishes, Pete.
When I lived on Long Island I dreaded snow too as we were expected to get to work no matter what. Ice storms were worse though. If you called in snowbound you didn’t get paid. So people called in sick but you could only have a limited number of “sick” occasions per month. Most of us went to work and then had the delight of dealing with disrupted flights. So in those days, Winter was not so great!