Snow in West Penwith

It is most unusual for us to have snow down here but this year is an exception.  Yesterday we woke to four inches or so on the ground and more fell during the day.  As soon as I pulled back the curtains I grabbed my camera to take the view out the window.

Like many of my neighbours I rushed out with my camera late morning just as the sun broke through.  I thought I might get some shots that I could use for Christmas cards although whether I have time to make them is another matter.

This is the stream that runs down the other side of our lane.  I particularly liked the snow on the bare branches  and took several photos that I could fiddle with in Elements to create designs.

Birds were sitting in the topmost branches - see top right, silhouetted against the sky.  I think I should have gone out a bit earlier than I did as a couple of people told me they had got lovely shots of the trees in the field on the edge of the village where people go to exercise their dogs.  This area is not nearly as picturesque as the villages we lived in up-country and in conditions like this I am not prepared to risk driving to get to the beauty spots.  As we get so little snow only the main A routes are gritted and it very hilly.  So I contented myself with walking round the village and taking photos of snow-covered roofs 'for the record' as they say.

At the same time I found one or two interesting detail shots.

These agapanthus heads were in a nearby garden

and these calabrese were in the allotments.

Later, having cleared a path from the front door to the studio, not least because the washing machine lives there, I then made it into the garden.  The sun had gone but the pond was quite interesting because the pump is still running and has left a clear spot which in theory could provide water for the birds.

Overnight we had more snow which means it turned very icy.  I have learnt to rely on BBC Radio Cornwall at times like this and  there are lots of photographs on their website if you are someone who holidays down here and want to see what is like out towards Lands End.  www.bbc.co.uk/cornwall  The last time I can remember it being this bad was, I think, in January 1988 when the palms on Penzance Promenade died and roads to the west of Penzance were all closed.  The group of cottages where our holiday cottage was is at the top of a very steep hill just outside Penzance.  Fortunately we had gone back after our Christmas break but they were snowed/iced in for several days and the farmer had to pour the milk down the drain.  Yesterday I was talking to one of the neighours when we heard a clanking sound and turned round to see the milk tanker going along the road out of the village with chains on.  First time I have seen that!