In the bleak late autumn

15st 10lb, 5.0 units. One of my favourite carols in childhood was “In the bleak midwinter”. Which continued, as you may recall, “frosty wind made moan. Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone. Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow-ow-ow on snow.” I remember finally twigging that this must have been a pretty remarkable “weather event” (© The Met Office) for almost-first century Palestine. Now it strikes me as an uncannily accurate description of current conditions in my part of Northumberland. I find myself singing it to myself as I attempt to plod through the snow, then reminding myself that it isn’t actually midwinter, or anything like it. In fact, officially, it’s still autumn. Proof of this can be found in the brown leaves still falling from the trees onto today’s fresh snow. Thank heavens for global warming, eh?

Yesterday we had plans to go out for lunch, which we cancelled. Today we had no plans, but we cancelled those, too, just to be on the safe side. With the snow now up to The Boy’s waist there seemed no point in even attempting to engage his interest in playing in the stuff, so we contented ourselves with a very short walk to visit our next-door neighbours, and a completely futile hour-long, 10-mile round trip to the nearest village to collect newspapers that had completely failed to make it through to the shop.

Just a bit of snow in the back yard

The view from the garage: 15-18 inches of the white stuff

Those boots weren't made for walking

Told you so

It's pretty, though

And there are bizarre sights to ponder

Next door's cat wonders where it went wrong

The view to the north

Driving to the paper shop

Limited chances of a postal collection

No sign of the newspaper wholesaler