According to the forecast

Yesterday, we were forecast blazing sunshine and subzero temperatures, with possible light snow showers from 3 am this morning.

Culbin Forest peeping out on the left, Ben Wyvis with snow and seals on the spit of land inbetween

Came to say ‘hello’

Along Findhorn from the harbour

Ice along the beach

So, it started snowing around 3 pm yesterday afternoon, paused during the evening and appears to have started again with some determination during the night. Hey ho, at least we had a stroll on a frozen beach yesterday and I’ve enough food and wine in to avoid a trip to Tesco with all the mad trolley people.

I did have a stroll last Tuesday, my regular weekly walk during term time  with Angela or Louise or both, if I’m lucky! Usually about 6 miles long around our local area, but last Tuesday, it had been snowing. I had taken my little daypack instead of my bigger daypack and that was a mistake. Gaitors proved to be a good idea and I paused to put mine on just before we set off, but the timing was poor. After successfully fitting one, my fingers were too numb to put on the other, so Angela stepped into the breach whilst I put Merino *flappy mitts and ski mitts on and Ailsa whined (six month old beagle pup, quite a cutey if a tad untrained…)

Off we set and my fingers became less numb and then more and more painful. After about, ooo, I don’t know, half a bloomin’ mile, it became obvious I was going to have to stop before I fell down, my body had gone into shock with the pain. Stupid and pathetic, I hate it! So, there’s me, crouched down by the side of a busy road, feeling a complete plank. Luckily, Angela has some idea what it’s like, she also suffers from Raynaud’s but she doesn’t go into shock, clever girl. She was very encouraging and practical and incredibly sympathetic.

We decided to head back to Louise’s, which took a while with stops, so that I could recover and then try again, after a cup of tea and a biscuit. We were able to have a quick walk before lunch which was through a lovely winter wonderland. If I’d had my bigger day pack, my hand warmers were languishing in the bottom. Pah!

What a plank.

*I have a pair of fingerless gloves with a flap to make them into mitts that I’ve knitted in Merino wool. I’m going to knit some more because they are incredibly useful and I’m wearing them out!