After Arwen

Gus and Mrs G at the entrance to Redhills Wood from Silverdale Rd.  Storm Arwen ripped through here on Friday night and the early hours of Saturday, leaving a chaotic debris of fallen and blasted oaks, ashes, willows and rowans.  Then this morning we had snow.

The winds that night were strong with violent gusts, and Arnside Knott which usually shields us from the prevailing westerlies provided no protection from the blasts from the north and east.  The trees toppled on this side of the hill.  It reminded me of living in Kent at the time of the Great Storm in October 1987, but then whole woods were flattened and roofs were stripped from exposed houses.  The house I lived in was cut off by an avenue of fallen trees, and there was no power for a week.  

Though when did we last have snow in Arnside in November?  It was cold enough for the snow to stick when it stopped falling.  Gus still likes the snow, taking little mouthfuls whenever we stopped.  A route through the fallen trunks and limbs had been trampled by walkers, and we managed to get Gus through to High Knott Road.  On his morning walk before the snow, our progress had been baulked by fallen trees, and he no longer has either the spring in his legs to get over even a small jump, nor the flexibility in his back to get under a fallen trunk.  He still enjoys his three walks a day, albeit much shorter in length and easier of terrain than we used to do.  As I write this at 1850, he is sat beside me urging me to finish to take him out for his night walk round the block.

Thanks to everyone for all the welcome back comments, stars and hearts for my reappearance after 10 months.  This is such a wonderful community to be a part of.