Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

I finally left Sutton at about 10.30 after breakfast with Tony & Marilyn having filled my 'mug that plugs into the cigarette lighter' (which is just about the greatest invention ever if you regularly drive long distances) and a hot water bottle wrapped in my duvet in case I keeled over part way up the M6 or got stranded. After a quick sortie round IKEA at Wolverhampton the journey was remarkably straightforward and although I suspect that I arrived in a haze of caffeine and sugar overload (don't try this at home - or even in a car!) nevertheless I was in pretty good shape when I arrived at 23.30. The last 15 miles or so were the worst as the snow was beginning to fall heavily by then and I followed a gritter for most of the way meaning that although the road surface was good, the paintwork on my car probably isn't now!

When we woke up the next morning it was to scenes like this, so I was glad that, crazy as it had seemed I had followed my instincts and not driven overnight. It would have been a much more difficult, if not impossible journey and I would almost certainly have ended up sleeping in the car somewhere (although I still had my emergency rations thanks to Steve and Mary). I had to jettison my sandwiches after the box slid off the passenger seat and spent a couple of hours in front of the hot air fan - I didn't fancy risking warm chicken sandwiches!
Sarah and I, being the 'hunter gatherers' went off to Tesco to forage for provisions for out 'mulled wine and nibbles do' which we were holding the next day and Christmas goodies. Fortunately the Highland Council are excellent at clearing the roads and once we had made it out of our drive the roads were fine.



On Sunday the snow fell pretty well all day and although we made it to the Christmas celebration at church in Smithton we weren't sure if anyone would get to us in the afternoon so were delighted when our first guests arrived pulling their small daughter on a sledge! Most people in fact made it and we were so pleased to meet many new people - it was a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon all round. It has already been suggested that we do it again next year.

By Monday morning we were even more snow bound. Richard optimistically took the bin up the drive but we weren't surprised that it wasn't emptied - all the waste collection teams are deployed to gritting and driving snow ploughs in these conditions. We have been leaving the 807 at the top of the drive but even so needed to dig it out in order to get out to Inverness to pick up Marianne who is staying here for a few days. I'm not sure that I was properly dressed for the job!Today Marianne and I took Rhema out and went down to the loch - which looks spectacular at the moment. It was facinating to see different deer tracks in the snow - especially what looked like those of a large stag ( perhaps belonging to a large jolly gent dressed in red....?).


No visit to us is quite complete without a trip up Cairngorm and so we took a chance on the weather despite the temperature being -15 and were fortunate to get up there ahead of the cloud so that although not totally clear, it was still pretty impressive. The ski-ers and boarders were out in force and I know that both Tim and Matt are keen to get out there when they can.





In the meantime we watch with interest the impending avalanche from the roof and wait for the next person to slam the door.......