The Sun

I took the opportunity to quiz Austrian Friend (AF) on snow and the like. Does everything run to clockwork etc? She says at times the snow ploughs do give up, that hospitals are full of people who have fallen and hurt themselves etc, so it's not a picture of total success in the battle against nature. It can go as low as
-20C quite regularly, so that is in a different league of cold to SE England.

On Wed we were going to go to Bluewater and see a film, but as I described this to another friend I was already thinking, 'and sit in a blacked out room whilst the sun shines.' So we walked to the shops to pick up a few things - her Marmite (yuck) - and she rhapsodised all the way there and back about the sun, sky, green grass etc. Apparently, when the snow melts after perhaps four months, the grass in brown. I keep joking about the short growing season explaining those tiny Alpine flowers.

Capitalising on the weather we went in the afternoon to a garden centre and I picked up some spuds ready for chitting and and some very cute tomato seedlings. Only 5 months til I start harvesting the tomatoes! Then we had a bit of a walk somewhere else. Quite pleased it was all very local.

Then it was to Church for some singing, (and a few organ bits but only, 'to support the singing.' Lent and Advent the oranists friends...)