Wednesday 13 March

That snow we were predicted for last weekend? I didn't take it wholly seriously. It is March after all. Yes, a few years ago we woke up on Easter Sunday and it was all white outside, but that doesn't happen very often. Normally it's time for daffodils, a gentle breeze, some light green buds. We had a day like that last week, giving a hint of a promise of Spring. We were warned of ice and snow, a bitterly cold easterly wind. Surely not, I thought. They've got it wrong.

Ha!

Yes, that's me. I was determined to get out there, knowing I feel better for a bit of fresh air. Fresh.Air. Right.
It rained all day on Saturday. On Saturday evening, as I was driving to Norfolk, snowflakes joined the raindrops. Snowflakes became the dominant species. I started spotting cars from the other direction covered in snow. We drove to Norwich to the ski club, where B. had a grand slalom competition. 'It can't be snowed off', he sniggered. It wasn't. It snowed all evening. We came back home to a blanket of a good couple of inches.
We woke up on Sunday morning and there was no more snow and it had even started thawing. Despite the odd snowflake still confusedly fluttering out of the sky, I thought I'd give the bike ride a go. Wrapped up in, wait for it, thermal long sleeved tshirt, a fleece top, my fleece lined rainjacket, my lycra cycling trousers, a pair of ski socks, an extra pair of socks on top of that, a fleece hat under my helmet (giving me that charming mushroom appearance - my head really isn't that big, honestly) and some ski gloves as I'd forgotten to bring my own. I wasn't cold - in fact, I was quite warm. Sweating even.

Until I came across this.

Just a bit of a flood right? While I was taking this photo, a car came towards me and drove through. The water was up to his bumper. I then had to cycle through (behind me is a steep hill which I didn't want to cycle up). It was so deep my foot on the pedal disappeared under the water. Blergh. I dripped water from my shoe for a mile. My foot got cold. And colder. And frozen.

A neglected Wesleyan chapel in Needham

This is the little ford we cross on the ladies tractor road run I take part in every year. In fact, the first time I did it, I was a bit freaked out by it - you take a sharp turn right, down into the water and back up again, and where I'm standing, you take a sharp turn right again. Not fun when you're desperately trying not to stall a tractor that has a 15 step manual for restarting it and there are numerous tractor drivers in front and behind you who are equally freaked out...

A few pictures of Brockdish Church. I love Victorian tiled floors. I like the colours and the geometric patterns. This one was particularly richly decorated.
I spent ages trying to get that last photo and I was still not happy with it (it's not sharp enough). I'd forgotten my tripod which didn't help...

The exterior of the church is quite unusual too - it has the usual flint stonework but you don't see many towers like these.

Coming back I had to cycle 5 or 6 miles into that easterly wind they'd warned us about. One thing about cycling is that you become much more aware of the wind and its direction. It may seem calm but as soon as you step on the bike you notice it. I definitely noticed it on Sunday and came back feeling quite sore and out of breath. And still with that cold foot.

 

The grand total - not as much as usual but considering the conditions, I was still quite pleased with this.

After a warm shower I was greeted with this 

The first time that B. lit the woodburner in the barn renovation. Cosy!