And the Snow Arrived

 I was surprised when I got up how little snow there actually was. Mum's prediction of "the weather forecast is wrong" was starting to look like it might come true.

As I stepped outside with the dogs to go and check on the chickens and quail (absolutely dreading what I might find as one of the quail had hurt itself yesterday), I looked out over the garage and realised it was about to snow. It was still dark, and about 25 past 8, and I needed my head torch. As soon as I'd got the food organised, and turned the corner of the garage to make my way into the kitchen garden, the snow started. Not the beautiful, fluffy snow that is fun to be out in, but the hard little hailstones that pretend to be snow.

The quail were fine, thankfully! Then, it was on to check on the chickens. Orlando came with me but Jess, being a little killer spaniel, had to stay in the kitchen garden so the chickens would be safe. I got their food out of the house and was just about to open the hatch to let the chickens out when there was a flash of light, followed immediately by thunder.

I've never liked thunder, but recently have enjoyed watching it from inside. But being out in the orchard while the lightning was close by, and amongst the trees where the chicken coop is, was unnerving at best. I hurriedly locked the roof of the chicken house and left them safely tucked in while I ran back inside with the dogs. The hail snow was dazzling in front of my head torch but I knew the way well enough anyway.

By the time I'd got inside, my heart was uncomfortable with the fear I'd felt.




Shortly after, the snow turned into what it should be, with massive clumps of the white stuff falling in clouds! It filled in my footsteps in no time at all and, as we were having breakfast, we watched the scenery change.

There was no more thunder, and I began to wonder if I'd imagined it, but we checked later on the Met Office website and there was a recorded lightning strike at 8:27 just off the coast.

We went for a walk later, but we didn't get far before we were caught out in horizontal snow and retreated back home!

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