I love...

Winter sunset, Whitby Harbour

Saturday February 21, Whitby Harbour

Bedazzled on the hills

Saturday February 7 - around Warland in the south Pennines

There are few things in life more reliably gorgeous than blue skies and sunshine over snow. It was the most perfect day of the year so far.

 

Although down for more than a week, the snow was still pristine and lying in thick drifts that made picking your way over rocks a bit tricky in parts.

 

The frozen surface gave Warland Reservoir an otherworldly air.

 

Even the sky was putting on a spectacular show.

 

As easy 6 mile strolls go, this was one of the best.

 

Even the ducks were strolling - it's a change from swimming.

 

And Susie got to satisfy her current penchant for building snowpeople.

I shelter here some days

Elbow - 'Scattered Black And Whites'

From a live show recorded by a fan on May 8 2008 at Bimbo’s 365 Club, San Francisco, CA

A song, a scene, insightful and achingly resonant.

The whole show can be found on Waves And Wires here.

Been climbing trees I've skinned my knees
My hands are black the sun is going down
She scruffs my hair in the kitchen steam
She's listening to the dream I weaved today
Crosswords through the bathroom door
While someone sings the theme tune to the news
And my sister buzzes through the room leaving perfume in the air
And that's what triggered this.
I come back here from time to time
I shelter here some days.

A high-back chair. He sits and stares
A thousand yards and whistles
Marching-band (Boom-ching)
Kneeling by and speaking up
He reaches out and I take a
massive hand. Disjointed tales
That flit between short trousers
And a full dress uniform
And he talks of people ten years
Gone like I've known them all my life
Like scattered black 'n' whites…

Almost snowed in

Monday February 2 at 7am. The view from South View in Newhouses, near Horton-in-Ribblesdale as Siberian air flowed into Britain.

The end of a long weekend that started with a wet ascent to the snow-capped top of Pen-y-ghent...

With the atmospheric chasm of Hull Pot at the bottom...

Day 2 on Ingleborough was wilder. High, freezing winds, glassy-surfaced snow and almost nowhere to shelter for a drink of 'Micha' (3 parts Milo to 1 part coffee - a kind of Mocha for hillwalking).

Whernside will have to wait for another time.