"January brings the snow, makes our feet and fingers glow"

As I sit and write it has begun to snow again outside the window. I am snug and warm inside looking out over a scene which looks beautiful. The snow arrived on Friday, 18th January and by the afternoon, several airports, here in England, and the schools in areas were the snow was reaching 8-10cms in depth, closed.

3.30pm Saturday January 19th 2013 (Photo taken on our walk)   

However. for those who used public transport, (trains and buses) it was a difficult time. Driving became hazardous and in some places downright impossible.      

We went out for a walk on Saturday afternoon, in the cold icy air.Temperature below freezing. There  is always a magical transformation of the landscape after snow has fallen.
Everything looks so dazzlingly white.
Animal tracks can clearly be seen. I noticed where a fox had obviously followed the line of a fence by a grass verge. The brush of his tail making a mark    alongside his paw prints.
Our own cat is always mystified when, on opening the kitchen door for him to go outside into the back garden, he is confronted by the scene in front of him.He had several attempts to brave the elements, involving sitting by the half open door until I closed it, as it was letting all the heat outside.
Contrarily then he wanted me to open it again......once again turning back at the cold air.
I closed the door once more.
But, no, at the third time he quickly stepped out and found himself into snow up to his middle! He took the plunge thinking if he ran fast enough it would make a difference. But all his usual familiar pathways were invisible. This was quite comical to watch! He was hopping like a rabbit. After several minutes of re orientating himself, he made it to the top of the garden and off into next door's.
A plaintive miaowing by the patio window heralded his return.                          
Conversely, Doughnut, next door's cat, had tried to make his usual leap from the adjoining fence on  to our extension roof. He missed his footing, not being able to gauge the edge, and landed slightly on and slightly off his target. His back legs not reaching their mark.
I realised this had happened as there was a very loud yowling, and thinking he and Tiger were fighting I went to look.
All was quiet.
Then I saw the tell tale evidence of Doughnut's demise in the pawprints at the corner of the guttering just above the fence. Scramble marks.

Garden, Saturday January 18th 2013 

 I refilled the bird feeders on Friday, and there have been blue tits, great tits, greenfinches  a robin, blackbirds, starlings, redpolls, gold finches and sparrows. The red wings have arrived, a sure sign of increasingly colder weather. I was amused by a magpie perched on a branch, trying to peck at the coconut shell filled with fat and seeds, hanging on to another one of the apple tree. It was just that bit too far out of his reach. At each peck, it swung away from him, only to swing back again and hit him. He persevered for awhile before admitting defeat.
The great spotted woodpecker, however has mastered the art to perfection, only he uses his talons to cling on to the shell whilst he digs out the fat and seeds which are encased. A red flash of his rump, and the white and black of his plumage. I love to watch him.        

A local road at 3.45pm Saturday 18th January. ( Photo taken on our walk)

Later on in the evening we braved the neighbourhood pavements, now icy, to walk to our friend's home along with some others, for supper and board games. Our walk home about 10.45pm was along quiet roads, not much traffic, and the surfaces gleaming like glass. Snow muffles sounds.