It’s a curiously British thing, living in a temperate climate, but there’s nothing like threat of snow, snow or just snow in the mountains to slow everything down. Snow before Christmas is really festive. Snow after the end of February is depressing as we will have already had little glimpses of Spring, but good solid mid-winter snow is just when it should be.
Years ago, exhibiting at annual trade fairs with my friend & business partner Tom, we would always find ourselves in the NEC on the 1st week of February. This was frequently a bit dicey on the weather front, but the last show we went to proved to be fatal to our business as we had relied on this show to have orders coming through for the rest of the year. It snowed. It snowed on the last day of build-up and continued to snow for the next 5 days and no-one came to the show. We were not consoled by hearing that one year Crufts had been similarly afflicted and people were actually snowed in to the vast building, surrounded by a snowy motorway car park, and surrounded by hungry pooches who were not used to being fed from in-house coffee huts and noodle bars. The snow, in our case, annoyingly cleared to allow us to pack up & go home, several thousand pounds poorer. In a vain attempt to find reason in this seemingly random weather front aimed at us, I turned to the Met Office statistics and discovered the reason….. the 1st week in February is statistically the MOST LIKELY week in the year for SNOW!
When we moved to the Brecon Beacons almost 15 years ago, we asked a local how long it might be before we became seen as being locals. He was a friendly, humorous and kind man but at this question sucked his cheeks and in a quiet and languorous voice replied “oh,….about 20 years underground……”.
Today was a wonderful reminder of why it takes years to get used to a different way of living. It is not about taking things slowly, it is about enjoying the journey.
This morning was icy and uncertain so SLOWNESS was essential. A journey normally taking 10 minutes took 30. 2nd gear was racy! Took time to speak with the animals & let the speak back.
This afternoon, found myself glancing then engrossed in an unveiling sunset. Unrivalled drama to the South-West with the Black Mountain under a long low oppressive cloud that was being scorched underneath by the dying sun’s rays. Pen y Fan, having been swaddled in cloud all afternoon, revealed herself with reflected slopes. Candyfloss clouds loomed above Fforest Fach.
Humbled and happy to be lucky enough to go slow.
