YORK

It's bloody cauld. On the plus side, other than a few flakes we haven't had a lot of snow today - but it IS bloody cauld.

This week, which I have enjoyed, has been a strange one.

Started last weekend with basically getting snowed in for a couple of days. Not too problematic as we were not planning on going anywhere. And, just because cars couldn't get out or in - we could still don our trail shoes and get out running.

But we were supposed to be going to York on Tuesday morning. By Monday afternoon it looked very much like we were going to have to cancel. But then ... a life line. Well, it wasn't a life line. It was a JCB with a bloody big shovel on the front and he had dug all the way from Innerwick to Woodhall. But past experience has shown that once the road is ploughed and "cleared" it can be blocked again in 24 hours or less. So what to do?

Should we risk the journey? The telly and those awfully smart chaps in Transport Scotland were telling people not to travel unless it was absolutely necessary.... Well Anne wanted to see her mum and I wanted to visit "Rebound Records" that IS necessary.

So, almost as soon as the JCB was away we packed our bags and put them in the car ... then got into our running gear. Drove the car to Ian's (closer to the A1 see) parked the car there and then ran home (in the dark - with head torches). The run home on Monday night was surreal. Really heavy snow and frequent flashes of lightening. The whole landscape would just suddenly shine. It happened a few times as we were running through the woods - for a brief second or so I'm convinced that there was more light in the woods than you normally get on a summers day!

Then on Tuesday morning all we had to do was run down to Ian's pick up the car and away we went. It was quite strange The start of a couple of days "holiday" and we were starting the journey with a three mile run. We left Woodhall at the same time as some of the neighbours left in their cars - and we still got down to the A1 before them.

Was there a "down side" to this cunning plan? Yes! Having to sit in a car for three and a half hours in smelly running gear after a run.

Also. It has to be admitted - you do look like a bit of a diddy turning up at a B&B in your running gear - especially when everyone else is walking about like Eskimos!

Anyway. Got down to York - and it wasn't too bad. A bit of snow yes - but nothing like what we had.

Until - Wednesday morning. Yes. Yet another "shit-load" of snow.
Quite enjoyed going round York in the snow to be honest. And it didn't stop us going for a six mile run up by the river either, before breakfast.

There was a bit of a feeling of York being a "city under siege" on the Wednesday though, and it soon became apparent that all the shops etc were closing early.
Thank God then that I had paid my respects to Rebound Records on the Tuesday afternoon. Though the slight rise in prices meant that I didn't unburden the chap from quite as much of his stock as I would have liked to.

Thursday saw us leave York a bit earlier than we would normally have done, and to be honest the journey home was a bit slower than normal, but uneventful and certainly not as bad as the press/telly/radio would have you believe.

Till the last three miles from the A1 to the house! That was like a bob-sleigh run. Hard compact snow and ice on the road and massive banks of snow either side of the single lane where its been ploughed.

One of the few times I've ever had to dig my way IN!

Spent quite a bit of yesterday afternoon helping one of the neighbours dig the road in front of the cottages. I quite enjoy doing stuff like that every now and then. Probably just as well, because I think it may be a bit of a "theme" this winter.

Out for a bit of a run this morning and, while we haven't had any significant snowfall today I notice that it is drifting over the road. Bollocks.