...in fact, definately not!!

Last Wednesday I went to the community coffee morning as usual and then set off with the trailer for Edinburgh to pick up the scaffold boards. It was already snowing in Moy but reports were clear for further South and I considered the risk worth taking as even with the cost of petrol the boards were such a bargain. Several hours later, loaded up with 40 boards - 17 of the 8ft ones sticking up out of the trailer, and I was on my way back. All was well until I was onto the A9 when the extent of the snowfall during the day became apparent. I was glad that I had decided to come straight back as the last 70 miles or so were covered at 20-30 miles an hour and by the time I reached Slochd summit the visibility was poor and it was impossible to see the margins of the road.

I had one amusing episode where I became aware that a queue of some 20-30 cars had built up behind me and decided to pull in to let them pass. I was a little nervous about pulling into a layby as it was quite possible that I wouldn't be able to get out again, although I was carrying a snow shovel. Having pulled over I was disconcerted to see that everyone else had stopped as well and showed no signs of wanting to continue past me. After half a minute or so I pulled out again and we continued in convoy for the next thirty miles or so - very strange....I can only imagine that no-one else wanted to be the one to potentially drive off the road!!


Richard met me at the top of the drive and took the trailer down in the Kia as by the time I got to Moy it was clear that the 807, even if it made it down, wasn't going to get back up again. By the time we got up in the morning we had a foot of snow and the conditions were making the national news. The remaining boards are mainly still in the 807, my suggestion that we use them as sledges and simply slide down the drive on them not having met with any support. Richard has been left with instructions to bring one with him each time he comes down the drive so eventually they will all make it down and when the snow clears I can start laying out the vegetable garden. Our postie hasn't been able to get down the drive either so we now have a large plastic box at the top and she just leaves anything in there.

The snow gates across the A9 were closed on Thursday which meant that no-one could go in or out of the highlands and we were officially cut off from the rest of the country. The pictures which appeared on the national news of lorries parked all down the side of the roads in a town were actually Aviemore and we spoke with some of the drivers who had spent the night in their lorries and were anticipating a further night there. They were looking for somewhere to get something to eat at a reasonable price - obviously we look like people who know where to find a good cooked breakfast!! Some of them were with whisky tankers which they assured us were empty but we have since learnt that if they have a full tanker they are not allowed to leave their vehicle, so valuable is the stock.

It is all credit to the council that we were even able to get into Aviemore on Thursday - we took Joe into work as it really was only safe in the Kia and were going to do the shopping in Tesco but once we realised how little movement of deliveries there was we decided to go to Inverness instead rather than denude the only supermarket for miles around. It felt slightly strange to find that there wasn't any snow at all in Inverness!!

The next challenge was, on Friday, to clear the drive enough to get Richards Mum and Dad down as it was under eighteen inches of snow. It was slow work and the drive gradually began to resemble the Vancouver bobsleigh run as I cut a channel through it and gritted it. David had been and ploughed it but where the tractor had been the snow was compacted to ice and with the fresh snow on top was quite hazardous. Some eight hours of digging and 135yds later and I was almost at the top. Mum and Dad had braved the conditions and had even gone back up again so that we could go out for lunch but on returning to the house Richard was startled to find a complete stranger once more clearing the drive with a tractor! It seems he was out and about, just being neighbourly. Sadly, all my hard work was demolished but at least we were now able to drive the Kia up and down again. At the risk of being boring, with yet more photos of snow, these show quite well how deep it was as well as the length of drive that needs to be cleared each time. We have only had a few days since mid December when we have been able to bring the cars down.









We had a good week-end with Richards family, his Mum, Dad, Sister, Brother and Sister-in-law before his sister Vanessa and I flew back down on Monday afternoon so that I could go to work. Unfortunately Joe wasn't able to join us as he was at a promotional event in Aberdeen for the golf course.

They enjoyed a walk down to the loch and the photo demonstrates how easy it would be for an accident to occur as the frozen loch is indistinguishable from the surrouning area. Anyone unfamiliar with the area could easily walk out onto the ice, not realising that they were no longer on solid ground. Rhema thinks there has to be a furry bone here somewhere.....

It seems strange to be in Sutton and see the crocuses well advanced - I briefly saw my snowdrops before they were smothered again, but I have to say that it feels colder in Sutton than Moy, although all that digging keeps one warm!! Looking at the live webcams on the roads up there (http://www.trafficscotland.org/ if you're interested - click on 'live eye view' and then the camera icons on the A9 - slochd)) it looks as if fresh snow is falling again tonight.......As ever it has been good to have a few nights work and have the opportunity to catch up with friends while I am here. I will be going back to Moy on the 9.30 flight on Friday and am hoping that I don't have quite the sprint at the airport that I have had in the past!