Today, at dawn on Christmas Day, was the first time in maybe a month or more that I've been able to take my black lab dog for the walk we normally do each morning, every day of the year.
In the summer, a farmer ploughed up a field on the route that's been grass for at least 30 years and seeded it with winter wheat. The footpath across that field, normally half a metre wide, is now at least 10m wide, and a morass. I had to give up walking the dog over that field, and hence find a new route, as I judged the risk of a fall and a broken hip to be too great at my 66 years, and normally needing 2 walking poles to cross field footpaths anyway, spinal injuries mean my balance is not so good now.
Today we have a hard frost, so the dawn walk was on. A pleasure to revisit the normal places on that hour long walk that we've not seen for weeks. And the dog was able to re-sniff his favourite rabbit and fox holes.
Tomorrow we get Storm Bella.
Bugg*r. Back to square one.