It snowed like mad on Sunday,it had been snowing all saturday night and continued through the whole of sunday.I had an essay to write,and for the life in me I couldn`t get it started. I had been trying for two days. So I decided to go for a walk. I had already built a snowman,in the middle of the street early in the morning,by the end of the day he had been run over several times poor thing!
So off into the blizzard I ventured. By the time I had reached the woods through fields two foot deep in snow ( there was the easy option of the path but not half as much fun;) ) I looked like a Yeti. No hood on so I was literally covered from head to foot in snow.
The woods are beautiful at any time of year and covered in virgin snow all white and shiny they were as beautiful as ever. Some parts where the trees afforded a canopy there was very little snow and a few spots had none at all. The little valley however was covered. Snow is beautiful when freshly layed but,it is also treachorous,hiding things that you would normally see and step over,I cant tell you the amount of times that I went tripping over some hidden branch or rock. Ouch!!It also changes the look of things,I know the woods like the back of my hand,but if you dont or you dont visit often things change,through nature and animals. I knew where the danger spots were and was able to avoid them,but I couldn`t help thinking that those less familiar with the woods could find themselves in trouble were they actually mad enough to do as I was doing.
I looked for tracks to let me know where the Squirrels were hiding out of the worst of the weather,for some reason they no longer hibernate in the winter,and I had brought them some goodies.Of course it was still snowing quite heavily so I wasn`t going to find them out in the thick of it.So I crossed the path into the thickest part that is normally too overgrown to venture far into in the summer. I sat on a fallen tree and got out the pieces of apple that I had brought and waited. I could hear them in the branches but it took ten minutes before one was brave enough to come down onto the floor,I put down some pieces of apple a distance away from me so as not to scare them too much and sat back on the tree. It grabbed a piece of apple and scurried off,soon returning with a friend for the rest.After letting them have some more and a few pieces of biscuit I returned back to the path to see if I could find some place farther up to place the bread and bits of biscuit I had brought for the birds.
I had forgotten for the moment how greedy Squirrels can be and they followed me,running down on to the path in front of me and off again the minute they came in contact with the snow,it was quite funny watching their reactions to the cold white stuff.they must have decided it was fun too because they then shook the branches and covered me in snow,I swear I heard them laughing!! I threw them some more apple though they didn`t deserve it,little sods.
I left the bread for the birds where it was relatively clear and set off back into the woods for another meander.
I had been thinking about my essay of course and knew I had to get it started,it is just the beginning I have problems with,the rest just seems to flow once I get the start. Then I thought about what someone had said to me about having faith in myself or at the very least a bit of the faith that others have in me.And I got it,the start,just there I knew exactly how to start it.
So back home freezing cold and wet through,three hours of wandering in the snow but I enjoyed every minute of it.
I finally got the essay finished and the myriad of Method questions and it has gone and now I am onto the next lot. Oh what joy.
And now time to catch up on blogland;)