Happy New Year!!!!

So, who got drunk then? Did you disgrace yourselves? Can you even remember? Shame on you!

John and I have been up to the Lake District to bring in the New Year with old friends. It was lovely to see them (they are wonderful hosts) but especially nice, having playing hostess myself to family and friends all over Christmas, to be looked after by someone else for a bit.


The hills around were all covered in beautiful thick snow, but we struggled for a walk on New Year's Day, because of treacherously thick ice on all the side roads and approaches, but managed a coastal walk, looking over the Solway Firth to Scotland across the water.


I took a sketchbook, but it was far too cold for drawing. We paused in a lovely old cemetery for Xmas cake and thermos coffee amongst the weathered stones, and it immediately began to snow again. I love the way the snow picked out the letters on this one:

We drove home this morning, trying to beat another severe snow forecast, stuffed full of muffins and with emergency provisions of Xmas cake (and sleeping bags!) just in case, but it was an easy run.

Back to the real world again on Monday (sigh).