Colour

Snow restores our faith in natural beauty transforming the familiar in the simplest way. The woods show the true magic where vivid contrasts reveal a world largely of black and white.

But colour breaks through in small doses even more effectively and reminds of those films of years ago which started in black and white then suddenly switched to colour. Everyone remembers the Oz film but there was also a film of Jean Cocteau I vaguely recall - perhaps Orpheus?

Even tiny patches of quite ordinary colour can make a huge impact in a world dominated by white.

Snap and Away

It's the thing these days for media websites to invite people to send in photos to adorn their pages. There was one on the Radio Sheffield site the other day of trees in the snow on Blacka Moor. I realised that I had seen the man taking the pictures as I returned from my walk. The interesting thing to me was that it was quite a nice picture taken with what looked like a very good camera by someone who knew what he was doing. But he had only stepped a few yards onto the site having just got out of his car and was then turning round to go back. If he had walked for another five minutes he might have been able to do justice to a really splendid scene a few hundred yards further on with superb wildlife. Perhaps people these days haven't the time or are not prepared to make a little more effort. They miss so much. The picture he took was rather nice - it looked something like this.

Feeding the Hungry

The Streetforce 2734567 number actually answered on Tuesday unlike on Monday, but the lady was politely insistent: no cul de sacs were being gritted - absolutely the lowest priority she said.

"But dont you realise," I complained, "that other roads have got two possible ways out. We have only one and that's up a very slippery hill."

No satisfaction apart from a promise to write down the request.

"So what about the robin and the four great tits and the pairs of blue tits and coal tits on Blacka Moor who've not seen a peanut or a sunflower seed for three days? Do you want to have murder on your hands? Put me through to your animal rights department."

Whether it was this or not the gritter finally came down the road at 8.45 pm. So today we managed to get to the lay by at Devil's Elbow by midday - all other parking options looked potentially awkward. The snow was so deep that the half mile or so seemed more like 2 miles. Fortunately Bert may be 12 years old but he remains game even when up to his jaw in drifts.

Ours were the only prints in the snow today unlike Monday when a remarkable quantity of bike tyre marks were on the paths. The sun on the snow through trees is just one of the best visual effects in the whole year but to me it's even finer when the trees are wild and unmanaged.

The birds were there waiting for us. It sort of made the hard walking even more worthwhile. Do people get more sentimental with age?

Well Covered

Snow covers the ground and much of the vegetation. It's as well that deer have spent their time thickening coats to keep out temperatures much lower than anything in recent years.

Villains

Sadly this kind of thing is on the increase and it would be foolish to pretend it couldn't happen here.

What should be the attitude of this blog? It has been suggested that no information should be given out indicating the presence of deer in the area. I have a view on this but would be interested to hear from any readers. Please let me know.

Rosy

Holmesfield Church at sunrise this morning looked welcoming . There are a number of walks between Totley and Holmesfield, some of them fairly new projects including the waymarked G H B Ward Commemorative Walk. This touches on Blacka Moor at the bottom of Wimble Holme Hill

Full Moon

On the first morning of the year a large full moon over the woods half an hour before the sun appeared.
Sheep were not impressed and preferred to cower behind the wall dreaming of better pickings in spring. When the sun finally came up the golden light transformed the snow at the top of Thistle Hill.

Here the thin crust above the softer snow was no match for my new size 11 insulated Muck Boots, the warmest footwear I've ever owned. But the giant tracks across the hill will have been easy to follow for anyone training in detective work.