A silver lining!!

 Our lovely lunchtime walk in the slush.  It is extremely wet at the moment - all through the summer I've wondered about these stepping stones over nothing - now I understand!

 Very friendly horses approached me at speed - cue much Minty barking and dancing around but the horses just wanted to nibble my pockets for treats...unfortunately I had nothing for them (and wouldn't have fed a strange horse anyway!)

 The swollen brook - all summer this was a meandering, stony trickle!

And this isn't even a stream at all - it's the road!

Throughout the summer this part of the brook totally dried up due to some cavers diverting an underground waterway up in the hills somewhere.  Now it's back for sure!

(The title to this post is apt for me in more than one way - Sheffield Wednesday's "traditional" pop song is Jeff Beck's Hi Ho Silver Lining which is played as the team runs out so I have a soft spot for the song.)

However, in this case, I'm not referring to football.  Remember how grumpy I was about our new office and the detested "agile working" which it brings with it??  Well, I have found a silver lining.  And it rests in the folds of snow clouds. 

It snowed last night and was white over this morning and still snowing lightly although forecast to turn to rain.  Not a deep blanket by any means and somewhat wet and slushy but enough to make the journey into work stressful.  Although not bad in the Valley, the road was bound to be nasty over the tops and then I know from experience that traffic is always terrible through Sheffield when we have even a dusting of snow.

I knew I COULD make it to work but I really didn't fancy the hassle of the trip and then the worry about whether it would be nasty going home again.  Not to mention the fact that I'm trying to bank some flexi hours and a long journey would eat into these.

So, instead of slogging in, I took "them" (whoever they are) at their word and elected to work from home.   Initially I was just going to work an hour or so first thing and then drive in later once it was light and the traffic had cleared a bit.  But after an hour it just seemed silly to go in at all.  I have everything I need here and this way could do a decent long day.  My boss was fine about it (not my immediate line manager who is a bit tricky about the whole working from home issue but the team manager) so that is what I did.

And it's been lovely.   I've got loads done, as well as some washing; I was in for the postwoman so don't now have to go and collect a parcel; and the dogs have had company all day.  We went for a slushy, muddy walk at lunchtime and I took some photos as you can see.

So, if you wait long enough, you can find the silver lining in most things!!

Weigh-in tonight - wish me luck!