It's snowing today

Earlier in the week other sorts of other excitement 
was happening outside our window. We are having new 
broadband cables laid and this was the scene outside.

But I want to show you some of the quick pics I took today,

so here we are, this is more or less the same scene today.

At the moment we are having a bit of a sleet storm.

It may turn to snow but it may just turn to slush.

We are too low lying to get good snow very often, 

but high enough for the schools to be closed 

occasionally due to teachers not being

 able to make it. Today the schools are closed 

as this weather bomb moves up the country. 

A snow day for the kids, they'll love it.

My poor polys are not looking too good.

 I need to get out and do some cleaning up 

and get rid of the dead leaves etc.That's frozen 

snow on the leaves. They are getting a bit 

of a hiding this year what with frost and now snow.

Just a little look at part of my yard when

 I got up this morning.We had had a little snow overnight

 and some flurries this morning but not a lot. 

Still it was enough for my GKB to want to go out 

and practice with his camera and while he was out

 he built a mini snowman on the picnic table :) 

I hope you've enjoyed my little bit of winter today 
and all you people sweltering in the blistering 
summer heat have cooled off a little.

Keep well 
whatever you are doing,
Diana

A snow day - sort of

Today my GKB and I spent the morning in town at appointments and on the drive home he said to me, "Oh well, it looks like we're not going to get any snow, I think it's well and truly finished". He sounded so disappointed! Being a good wife I suggested if it wasn't going to snow on us then we could take a drive up the track and find some. After all we're retired now and can do this sort of spontaneous stuff. We drove on in silence for a time and he said "Shall we go straight up now and have lunch when we get back then?" What? I was in high heeled boots and not enough layers if we did find some. And it was lunch time! So we went home, which was in the right direction anyway, and had lunch and coffee and then we drove inland on a snow hunt.

This is what it looked like through the windscreen of the car. You are quite right that is not snow although it was trying to happen in the middle of the picture. That is Mount Maungatua in the centre shrouded in cloud. But we were not heading there, just passing by.

Up on the tops it looked like this, snowing in the distance and a little on the edge of the road but nothing to write home about. We could see it happening but couldn't get near it. Yesterday all this was covered in the white stuff according to the news.

These sheep were standing around in it up to their knees and it was falling all around them, but not today! Mind you the wind was blowing a freezing gale and I don't know whether I would have got out in it anyway. Oh yes I would, I'd have wanted at least one picture to prove we'd gone looking. 

This old wagon was at the side of the road by the Clarkes Junction pub, and no we didn't go in for any liquid refreshment, maybe in the summer. It has nothing to do with snow hunting, I just thought it was quite picturesque so took a snap. This is where we turned the car around and started to head home. And it was about here that my GKB said "Hmm, the fuel light has just come on." Pardon? We're out driving in the hills, looking for snow and you didn't check the fuel gauge? But once again, being a nice wifey, I bit my tongue and said not a thing until much farther down the road where I "hoped we'd get back to Outram then". We did, just. 

On the way back there was still a little bit of snow on the ground at the entrance to Traquair Station and it looked quite pretty so I did take a couple of photo's. The page header was taken here as well.

This is the start of the drive into the station and beyond the trees is a beautiful big garden and the homestead. A beautiful home. And you look out onto the rolling hills of the station. It's quite a sight to see. But the snow was all behind the fences and not really enough to do anything with anyway. We did pass one snowman but even he was a bit lopsided and starting to melt. 

After refuelling at Outram we headed home again, for more hot coffee and a biscuit. It was a good relaxing way to spend the afternoon even if it wasn't very fruitful.

Until next time, 

Diana

Who opened the freezer door?

We woke up to a wintery blast today. 

I opened the drapes and this is what I saw...

Just a little dusting of the cold white stuff.

Thank goodness I don't have to go out in it today.

It's not too bad here but the city schools are closed, 

and the state highways north and south 

have been closed much of the day.

view from eldest daughters home

My eldest daughter lives in the city

and the snow is a lot heavier there, 

they are in a hill suburb...

well most of the city is built on hills.

Mackie, his first time in the snow

Being on the flat the snow has to be
fairly low to really affect us.

It's 2 or 3 years since  

we have had a decent covering here.

grand-daughters' snowman

And that is how I like it.

Pretty to look at on Christmas cards and postcards, 

even to ?maybe? have a holiday in (I think),

but I really don't want to live in it.

Keep warm, keep cool, 

whatever the need may be, 

but most of all keep safe

wherever you are.

Diana

pretty flowers and a snowman

Aren't my flowers pretty? My sister in law picked them for me from her garden just before Christmas and I have just thrown the last of them out this week.

And I have been sooooo gooooood. My Christmas stuff is all packed away for the year. The tree is back in its box and the bins of decorations are back in the man cave somewhere - I leave the putting away of the bins and tree up to my GKB.

 Friday 6th being twelfth night I thought I should make an effort and do it. So after breakfast and doing a little bit of essential housework I got stuck in, and you know what? I enjoyed it! When my GKB arrived home I was on a roll and hadn't even stopped for a coffee. Mind you, these days he gets home in time for a late lunch, so it isn't as bad as it sounds. I packed everything up and then decided I might as well clean the whole room while I was moving furniture about so everything is dusted and polished and shiny and bright. My GKB even luxed (vacuumed, hoovered) the floors for me cos he knows that is the one job I really hate doing.

I do have one Christmas thingy still out though and that is because my little grandboys haven't discovered what it is yet. I think with everyone being outside on Christmas Day they just didn't see it.

The snowman covers a lolly container and is currently filled with mini packets of gummi bears.

 I have had it for years. My own kids loved when it came out but the 2 grandboys haven't had enough Christmases here yet to have discovered what it is - we have turns at hosting on Christmas Day. They will be back from holiday at the end of the week though.

Well my bed is calling so I am going to say goodnight to you all.

Have a great week.

a nice cosy day in

  Well we've had our first decent dump of snow for several years and it was really quite lovely. I know in other parts of the world snow is an every winter occurrence, but not here. We might get a light dusting that disappears as quickly as it comes, but to have snow that actually lies on the ground and disrupts the city only happens every few years. We see it on the top of Maungatua, and around the

Silverpeaks, and we feel the effects of it in the wind chill other winters. 

Anyway, on Sunday night the forecast wasn't good, snow down to 200 metres, which is us. As dusk fell there was a light dusting on the lawn and on the bushes, nothing settled on the road. The wind blew a gale and the snow kept falling, the temperature kept dropping as the evening went on and the heat pump was turned way up high, - we, the GKB and me,  don't like being cold!

On Monday morning the GKB got up at his usual time, which is 3 or 4 hours earlier than me, to get ready for work. Turned on the radio to find that the roads were closed and that everyone was being asked to stay at home unless it was essential to travel. So that was him home for the day. We live on a plain and are surrounded by hills and the roads were closed.  So we decided to settle in for a nice, cosy day in, keeping warm, watching the telly and drinking warm drinks. How silly can you be? How silly could I be? I knew it was my day off and the GKB was home and the roads were closed, what I forgot was that if we couldn't go out others couldn't come in! Therefore some of the people where I work were stuck at home. On the other side of the hill. Lunch time the phone goes. Diana can you come into work, K can't get here. Yes, I can come in I said, no, I don't want to I thought. But I went in, it's the sort of industry where you need a full team on every shift. That was the end of a relaxing day off.

A couple of teenage boys built a snowman in the gardens between the units and the residents thought he was a beauty. I came out of work that evening and the wind had stopped. It was lovely and still - the sky was clear and the stars were all twinkling and I found it surprisingly mild. I just loved it.

Unlike youngest grandson who just hated it. He is 5 and bawled his eyes out and told his mother he was going to get a blanket and lie on the couch and watch videos all day! And he did.