Monday 24 December 2012

A Lincolnshire Christmas

So, here we are in rural Lincolnshire for Christmas staying at my parents'.  These photos, however, were not taken this visit because the weather has been unremittingly wet and miserable (as it has been everywhere from what I can tell).  I took these last time I was over when it was freezing but very beautiful.  The first was taken one evening as the sun set over the Welland valley and the rest were taken on a frozen run the following day.



It never got light just stayed a perpetual pale grey all day.  Everything was rimed with frost but the ground was frozensolid so no mud and perfect for running.









Amazingly, I managed to make myself go out for a 40 minute run this morning.  How very different it was.  Cold and chucking it down with rain.  The roads (I didn't even consider hitting the fields) were slathered in sludgy, yellowy brown mud and deep puddles.  The dogs were NOT impressed to be dragged out at 9am, before being fed even.

Shelagh staged a one-dog protest and had to be dragged from the house.  Even once we were out she held back and made her feelings extremely clear - it is Christmas and I should be in Nana and Grandad's warm kitchen being stuffed full of contraband, not out here running!!. 

The dogs scarf up an impressive amount of contraband while visiting Nana and Grandad.  Nana being a woman with very little memory but a great love of dogs, has only to look into their melting brown eyes to diagnose extreme starvation and rustle up some tasty treat.  She will butter bread and either spread it with jam or honey or cut pieces of dad's best gammon, pieces of cake, fruit, bits of mince pie, more ham, more bread and butter.  I turn into the worst kind of jailor, constantly vigilant to prevent them turning into little barrels.  No wonder they don't want to go for a run!!

I'm doing my best to avoid barrel-dom myself.  It is not easy as the house is full of foodie loveliness - my home-made Christmas cake, mince pies, pate, stilton, the aforementioned ham, cheese, biscuits.  And more will be opened tomorrow.  I'm doing alright.  My trousers still feel loose and I managed to stick to the morning POM, black coffee and 3 hour wait for sustenance this morning.  I fear tomorrow will be harder still.

But hey - IT'S CHRSIIIIIISTMAAAS!!  And I can go back to the dieting afterwards.

We're off to my sister-in-law's for supper this evening which will be an extravaganza of gorgeous Asian food followed by the pub.  Tomorrow pure tradition prepared by Moi.  Mmmmmm

I hope you're all having a wonderful time with friends, family, loved ones, furry family and food.  I hope that none of you are affected by the terrible flooding which can be seen if I allow the news to enter my consciousness and if any of you are, my thoughts an prayers go out to you and I hope you get through it as best you can.

((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((BIG HUGS TO ALL MY BLOGGY PALS!!))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

2 comments:

Seren said...

A very, very merry Christmas to you and yours.

Big hugs!

Sx

Claire said...

You take such fantastic pictures you should sell them. Just a littl side business.