241: Baby, Its Cold Outside

Cold.  I said COLD.

There’s cold.  And then there’s Earlswood Cold.  

However, it has been surprising.

I read in one of John’s books  (Science Made Easy) that water freezes at 0 degrees Centigrade (or Celsius - I’m not sure if there is a difference, or, if there is, what it is).   But for the first dew days of what is euphemistically called ‘a cold snap’ the roads did not freeze and it only snowed once.

And then came Friday.  It (or is it ‘they’ - the weather Gods) decided it was time to freeze - and so it did. Patches of ice formed  - and it became very slippery.  Not too bad for me since I have four legs and extraordinarily good balance…. But terrible for poor old John who has two legs and extraordinarily bad balance. At least he took his walking stick when he went out (with me).

However it took several minutes for him to prepare to go out.  Putting on a padded jerkin and a warm jacket, gloves and hat, making sure he has got poo bags (for me, not him), headphones (so he can listen to podcasts - whatever they are), Kendal mint cake (in case he gets lost and has to build a bivouac for a few days and needs the energy from the ‘sugar rush), a torch (nighttime walks only), a lead (to keep me under control).

The observant and completists among you will have noted  the missing scarf - he can’t be bothered to find where he left it last winter.

Every walk (short or long) is like a major expedition.  I find it quite amusing.  Sometimes if I’m feeling mischievous, I make my ‘I want a walk’ moves snd noises, then when John has got ‘togged up’ (the expression we use in our house for the preparation and robing), I lie down to show I’m comfortable and don’t actually need a walk.  

I can’t get away with that too often, of course, so I only do it if I am prepared to go outside in the cold.

Anyway, Jacky says it it going to warm up in two days (the telly box man told her that) to the dizzy heights of 12 degrees so things should be back to normal soon.