A nice snowy Christmas this year, at home, looked like this -
Our house...
the village...
and looking back towards our house in the trees from the coast road.Nice and scenic. But thats not snow, no, this is snow...
The day after Boxing Day we headed north, to Speyside hoping to do some bracing winter walks and maybe take in some specialities like Crested Tit, Capercaillie and the King Eider with two Snow Geese on the coast.
Well those plans were pie in the sky. We arrived at Bynackbeg, Nethy Bridge on Monday afternoon at 3pm when the temperature was a record breaking -17 degrees in the villages and everything was covered in 18 inches of snow.
Our holiday home with superb underfloor heating, thank god.
On stepping outside you instantly became a foot taller...
Jane and Bunty doing a 'Shackleton'....
Everything frozen and coated with snow and ice...
Hard times for the Blue Tit. We saw very little else. Birds must have moved out and left only the feeder visitors to hold the fort...
Every morning was the same. Snow falling to about 8 - 10" through the night and me cleaning off a bogged down car. Luckily it was much warmer now. -8.
This bush looked like either, and make up your own minds, the Sphynx or Dougall from the Magic Roundabout...
Right up to the windows....
the main access roads were looking well...
The picnic chairs weren't much use and the gutters collapsed later with the weight...
Far too deep for a terrier, so what was she to do? What she usually does when confused - dig for it. The birch trees behind are all bent under the weight of snow.
As the snow built up, I couldn't even get into the car let alone drive it. The sweeping brush is not pushed in to the bottom. By now the level ground was 2 feet deep and fences were 3 to 4 feet...
On New Years Day we were rescued by a farmer with a bulldozer...
and we finally escaped back home. Taking 6 hours to do 240 miles. Thanks to our neighbours in confinement, Simon, Jo and the children Molly and Matthew who also were freed but had to drive home to Plymouth the same day (they made it safe and sound), we managed to stay sane .
After such a multitude of snow scenes making Boulmer Birder look like Whitchwood Ramblings, I will not be doing anymore scenic snow scenes until next Christmas.
Never have we been so glad to get home...
8 comments:
Did you have Robbie Williams round for the New Year!!??
Great photos. The snow isn't quite as deep in Killingworth. Cheers.
Bunty has a Gromit-like face on in the last pic - why did they drive all that way to find so much snow?
Great shots - happy new year!
Snow like the old days.........
Ah, topping up the tan, i see!
serious weather. propper snow.
And finally a pic of the finished fire place. very nice.
Do you still have the wasps nest. in the shed?
might be safe to approach it.
"Never have we been so glad to get home..."
I can well believe it, Stewart. Have a good 2010.
Fab snow Stewart, and Bunty seemed to enjoy it
Happy New Year
Great shots Stewart. I love Nethy Bridge, brilliant base for exploring Speyside and the Highlands. We stayed at the bridge house (Tigh-Na-Drochaid) a couple of times though it's getting on for 8 years since we last went up (never in the depths of winter!). Think I'll have a look at going back up some time this year.
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