The blog of photographer Kim Ayres

Where’s the Snow?

Snow storms have been sweeping the country, apparently, but there is not a flake to be seen anywhere in the few square miles surrounding my house. And this is a shame, because I love snow.

Now I know there will be readers of this blog who regularly get 6 feet of the stuff, and for whom the novelty of the first snowballs of the season seems like a lifetime ago. But I haven’t had any this year, and I’m itching to build a snowman.

This past week I’ve been eagerly watching the weather forecasts as the snow has swept across Southern England, Northern England, Northern and Eastern Scotland and conspicuously bypassing the SW corner of Scotland. This morning, however, the forecasters confidently predicted snow to be falling across Dumfries & Galloway. Indeed, I’ve heard that schools have been closed less than an hour’s drive west of here, but still the skies here remain stubbornly clear. I’ve just picked up Meg from school and although there’s a bitter chill in the air and darker clouds far off on the horizon, there will be no snowball fights in the garden with the kids today.

During my student exchange in Canada, I loved the massive amount of snow that fell endlessly for months. The only problem was when it began to thaw and you got hundreds of puddles of icy water, just deep enough to go over the top of your boots, caught in walls of compacted slush that would take weeks to finally disappear. But it was worth it for the sheer amount of the white stuff across the winter.

I think I would be happiest living in a place where we had long hot summers and cold, snowy winters, rather than tepid rain or cold rain, depending on the season. But until such time, I will make the most of the slightest bit of snowfall. If it does arrive and there’s enough of it, I will post a picture of my first, and probably only, snowman of the season.

26 comments

kats said...

Oh well, the sun shines on the righteous? Come up the A9 it's very white, very pretty and very cold

Unknown said...

When you live here, you get used to negotiating the icy puddles. I can't remember the last time I got a soaker.

Good luck with the snow. If you'd like to hire a refrigerated freighter, I could ship you few hundred tonnes! :)

Foot Eater said...

Two snowmen were standing in a field and one said, "Do you smell carrots?"

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Anonymous said...

I'm 30 minutes from Windsor, Ontario in Michigan and to my knowledge there is no snow anywhere nearby, so depending on where in Canada you were you may not have missed much of anything.

We have had an extremely mild winter.

Kim Ayres said...

Kats - righteous??? Anyway, I'm sure it will be stunningly beautiful up the A9 - but I hate having to drive that road. Why they don't have a dual-carriageway all the way up beats me. You can get stuck behind a series of slow lorries which are stuck behind a couple of slow caravans which are stuck behind a Nissan Micra for 40 miles and have nowhere to overtake!

Asher - update - it's Saturday morning and still no sign of a single flake.

Foot Eater - groan

RNP - I was in Nova Scotia, which I don't think is supposed to be as bad as other places in Canada, but it was still over 4 feet deep for much of the time.

Attila the Mom said...

I'm up at 9000 feet, and still no snow for us either. :-(

I hope Mother Nature gets a move on, or it's going to be one hot, dangerous and dry summer.

Charlie said...

A gentle "ping" to visit my latest blog entry . . .

Kim Ayres said...

attila - 9000 ft? The highest point in the UK is Ben Nevis, which only rises 4409ft.

Charlie - many thanks for the warm welcome on your site. I look forward to getting to know you better.

Charlie said...

With global warming on the increase and the destruction of the snowy enviroment, snowmen have been put on the endangered species list.

Attila the Mom said...

Just checking in on the snow watch. Any luck yet?

Kim Ayres said...

Charlie - welcome to my ramblings. I almost missed the factthat you're a different Charlie to the one a couple of comments above!

Atilla - for a brief moment, a few flakes threatened yesterday, but they didn't settle and it's back to being a cold, clear day again today

Anonymous said...

Where's the snow indeed!! You're local fiddler bought his grand kids sledges for Christmas - obviously he's been taking the warnings of the Gulf Stream stopping seriously. Great complaint there has been in Dunoon too (destination of most of the sledges) where they had all of half an hours worth - hardly enough to build a snow hamster.

See you in the Gordon House in a fortnight no doubt.

Kim Ayres said...

Hi Sandy - welcome to my ramblings.

This is where I have to apologise for my appaling memory, and request that you either let me know which instrument you play, or that you introduce yourself again to me at the sessions, mentioning that you commented on my blog. I can then slap my forehead and say "Of course! It's you!" Your name sounds familiar, but I can't attach it to a face.

All things going well, I'll be at the next one in CD and the following one at the Gordon House.

Sven said...

Key Kim-

I came here via the Litter Box. For several years I have shared the same frustration as you. Substitute St. Paul, Minnesota for Scotland and I could write much the same rant. Fortunately, my grandmother owns a lake place "up north" so I was able to get my snow fix this weekend.

Kim Ayres said...

Sven - welcome to my ramblings. If there was a place "up North" that got all the snow, in this country it would be cut off. Anything more than about 2mm of snow and the roads grind to a halt. The authorities just aren't geared up for it.

michael the tubthumper said...

glasgow hardly got any this year.

kats said...

I had another 7 inches yesterday - snow that is

Anonymous said...

Hi Kim,

I'm mostly caught playing the guitar and the small backpacker mandolin (John the fiddler's son)- not here half the time as I'm on the rigs, so I won't be at CD.

I also see I've been caught here with a shocking spelling mistake - you're instead of your

Kim Ayres said...

Michael - well you're about 90 miles due North of here, but I guess you probably get a similar weather pattern

Dr Evil - Haven't you invented a weather machine to hold the world to ransom yet?

Kats - Oo-er missus

Sandy - Doh! (Slaps forehead) Of course! It's you! That explains why you know what the fiddle player bought his grandchildren for Xmas!

I wouldn't worry about the spelling. With the texts I get from my nieces, my sense of spelling and grammar is constantly being challenged!

See you in a couple of weeks.

Gyrobo said...

Everyone loves the snow! You know who doesn't love the snow? Skinny people. Those who are laden with layers of fat are impermeable to the harsh frost that is the winter. Now do you see the folly in trying to lose a hundredweight?

Dr Maroon said...

Been in Monstee's cave recently?

Kim Ayres said...

Gyrobo - A warning I willhave to give some serious consideration to.

Dr Maroon - I have now - thanks for the tip off!

Meg said...

I live in a normally snowy area and we haven't had any snow except in December and a couple days ago where it snowed for about two hours, then unceremoniously melted away. I say if it's gonna be cold it might as well be snowing.

P.S. I came here from the Litter Box, too. Sounds kinda funny...

Kim Ayres said...

Hi Meg - welcome to my ramblings. I've heard mention of you in the litter box, I'll come and visit soon.

Attila the Mom said...

Came to check for your snow report.

I'm happy to announce that we're in a bonafide blizzard right now. I can't see the driveway from my front porch. Woohoo!

Any luck your way?

Kim Ayres said...

Hi Atilla - nope, it's just turned a bit milder and been raining for the past couple of days. I think we've missed our chance for this year.

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