Flying ears...

Today is the day when we collect our Christmas turkey from the farm shop, and traditionally walk the dogs round Southey Wood beforehand. Despite their various illnesses everyone wanted to come along, so we all piled into the tiny car (as the large one hasn't been driven for ages and probably has a flat batttery) and set off.

Most of the roads were OK, but the last stretch was untreated and very icy, and it took all my driving skills to get in and out of the wood's car-park, which had sheet ice on a barely imperceptible hill.

I think snow has an amazing effect on people and animals.

Teenagers become like children, and there was plenty of snowballing and shaking of snow off trees, while a sibling stood underneath. I took some funny photos, but the teenagers have vetoed their use on blip!

The dogs absolutely love snow and also seem to shed at least five years. Gemma and Rosie are eleven, but they were leaping round the wood like much younger dogs, eating snow, snuffling in all the vegetation, and then runnng back to us along the woodland rides. In this image Rosies's feet are scarcely touching the ground and you can almost see the smile on her face!