In the bleak

This morning, the  fog is shifting slowly across the  mountains, the temperature holding steady at freezing and a rather watery sun is clawing its chilly way into the sky.  The snow has been on and off the peaks for the past couple of weeks; like a nervous climber, it advances and retreats from day to day, but the weather's current cold snap, created by the high pressure centre which is keeping the rains at bay, does make for some excellent walking conditions.

There's something satisfying, too, about scrunching across frosted fields.  The sheep react lethargically, maintaining body heat whilst trying to eat enough to keep their unborn lambs healthy for the coming spring.  The larger animals are generally indoors, and the sheer silence of the hills, broken only by gurgling brooks and the cries of Ravens is wonderfully elevating.

We may grouch a lot at times, but days like this remind us how good it is to be alive.