Dark Days Indeed

I don't think it got properly light until 9:30am this morning , by which time I had finally managed to get my induction at the New Gym and been into town to return two jumper Christmas presents from his Lordship, one a size 16 and the other one a size 8 (I wish!). Because I suspect no-one realised that M&S opened at 7am, there was no queue at the returning - things section and the place was eerily quiet. Fantastic!
I bought some party food for tonight's visitors and was waiting for a bus by 9am.
I don't intend to go anywhere near the shops again this week. It's a jungle out there when the punters get out of their nice warm beds.

I have realised that is safer to go by bus if possible, now that the thaw has set in and the pavements are a skating rink of icy slush. The alternative to the bus is walking on the road which is a tad dangerous in town.

It used to be a bye-law, and maybe still is, that householders were supposed to clear the sidewalk outside their property. Very few people do this nowadays and the council certainly don't do it in our street, so it can be quite a risky excercise walking on them. With a little nudge, his Lordship went out with his shovel and cleared a large swathe of pavement outside the castle and the adjoining properties. Good Man!

I can't help wondering how little old ladies, littler and older than I,manage to venture out in this weather without breaking a hip. Daughter#2 is an orthopod and is having a busy time with casualties being brought in with broken bones.

My blip was taken at 8:00am as I skated my way across the Meadows to my assignation with the Gym. It's hard to believe it can be this dark at this time.