Swirls

No matter what time I get to bed I seem to be in a rhythm right now of waking up precisely six hours later. It doesn't feel like quite enough sleep, but it's as if the body knows there is a lot to pack into the day and decides that's all the amount of sleep that I really need. Anyway, it was quite a shock to open my eyes very early this morning on a blanket of white and see snow falling. I thought the forecast had been for rain. It was a wet and clumpy kind of snow and although it was instantly becoming slushy outside the house, I knew it would be a few degrees colder on the moor and likely be clinging to the trees.

It was great to have time before going into the office to head up to Hangingstone Quarry for a wander around the pines. Photography was a bit precarious because big clumps of snow would regularly fall from the canopy and I know from experience that they invariably target the back of your neck! I managed to avoid that fate, as well as the camera getting taken out, and got some rather pleasing pictures.

It was beautiful first thing walking in and out of the low hanging cloud, nobody else around, making footprints in the virgin snow, a whole world away from the town just a few hundred feet below . Once reluctantly back down from the moor the snow turned to sleet and then later to rain, making for a thoroughly miserable kind of day. I was very grateful for being able to grab something blipworthy so early for there would have been scant other chances today. Quite a few shots to choose from but picked this for the swirl of the trees to match the swirling of the snow.

Finally, I'm lost for words for all the comments and starts and hearts for yesterday's Mimicry. Thank you so much. I happened to notice that my year ago blip yesterday was also a very popular favourite, The Cloud Factory. I wonder what next year will bring?