Snow!

Computer being complete idiot prat, so unable to inform interested readers in timely manner of brief arrival of snow. By this point, it is mostly gone, except for the sneaky trap of ice on my back steps. It has been bitterly cold and gorgeous. So, I am staying inside, being obsessively tidy(ish) and drinking tea so as to retain a small piece of dignity and state of physical health (and to stay warm).
This was picture of St. Miles yesterday morning on my way to work (have been keeping sort-of-daily record of St. Miles from same photo spot since 1 January, and need to get off my duff and coordinate them, I suppose).

The snow was supposed to start at 3.00pm, but didn't get going until about 7. Here is what it looked like at approx. 8.00 pm last evening (!) -- I had to keep going outside in my pajamas to check on it, you know.
And, finally, what it looked like first thing this morning (at about the appropriate time I would normally have been leaving for work. Were it not Saturday, that is.).

Some more randoms: At the point photo to R was taken, the flakes were massive and you can see their little wobbly paths through the air. Photo to lower L appears like rain perhaps, but it is after flakes have gotten tired and smaller. Is of steps at Rosemary Lane.

Whilst wellies are better than Birkenstocks at keeping out slushy water, they are slippy on iced pavement. Salt makes ice make crackly noises. Large clumps of snow falling from overhangs onto people's heads as they walk past is amusing.

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Tip of the day: If your bathroom window shade is blowing in the wind, and your window is shut, you might want to consider that some draught excluder stripping would be a good plan. Of course, the process of putting this in whilst standing on top of your toilet lid with the window open and snow blowing in does render your fingers completely numb within 37 seconds. Esp. if you are obsessive and must clean the dirt off the inside ledge with some anti-bacterial cleaner before excluder is stuck on.

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Completely unrelated to the snow, fish habitat is finally in a more attractive state and Jasper has a more interesting bit of scenery in which to act like a complete nutter. It was quite traumatic (what with the leaning log, the silting sand, the blasted filter, disagreement over the colour-order of the sand and gravel) for everyone, and everyfish, involved (except for E, who somehow manages to stay calm at the most inappropriate times), but we are all now swimmingly happy :) Jasper has naturally decimated the leaves on the front-most plant. Carrot keeps loitering under the log arch in a slack-jawed sort of way and missing his dinner. Forsythe LOVES the log, and is neglecting his walls...