Winter Wonderland

On Saturday, we got about 4 inches of snow here in London! It was beautiful watching it snow and a bit shocking to see so much of it stick so quickly! We had a great time playing with our friend Jill and her daughters Elizabeth and Victoria. Wiley and I made it out late morning to run quick errands then go to their house for lunch. It was pretty magical to be drinking a peppermint mocha while walking in the snow!

Wil was waiting patiently at home for us to get back (read: man cave time) and play in the snow. Tackling followed.

There was a big snow angel out there. Wil was not going to miss the fun, and very delicately threw himself down into fresh snow and proceeded to do the angel motions.

Wil, Wiley, and Elizabeth built a wonderful snowman!

Winter Wonderland! (This is our square's garden)

There is still more snow forecasted this week. We've still got tons on the ground, so if it could hold off until my family gets back here from Paris, that would would be grand. I'm all for a white Christmas, but only after the jet-setters return!

Snow...in November?

It snowed here yesterday--that's right. In November! What a wintry place we live in, apparently! Tonight and tomorrow we are forecasted to have more snow...1-3 inches in fact! Not really that much, but to Southerners, that is a lot! And it is absolutely, positively freezing--especially with that damp London air and arctic winds.

One friend at school, who moved from Charlotte, was certain school was cancelled since it is in Charlotte (and anywhere in the South) for 1 cm of snow; but this is London, and we trudge on. However, last year the city was pretty shut down with minimal snow--so maybe tonight and tomorrow will be enough to do it. London is like the South in that way--not totally prepared for winter precipitation.

Funnily enough, on Tuesday, I was going from our area just outside central London to the Marylebone area. I texted my friend to say I might be late because of the slick conditions. I felt crazy (and was sure she thought I was crazy or telling lies!) when I got off the bus and there was absolutely NO snow on the ground there. Just a few miles into the city and no accumulation. Shows how warm the city itself is, as well as the slight difference in elevation (or at least that is what I'm told) between the areas.

Wiley of course loves the snow, and hopefully tomorrow there will be enough for a snowman. I'm just trying to encourage him to stop eating snow off of London sidewalks/houses/gates/you name it.

Snow Day!

This week we had some beautiful snow fall! In fact, it is still around. And I think it was flurrying again this morning, but I wondered if it might have just been the wind blowing the snow that is already around. The UK has been experiencing some of the coldest temperatures in decades. Some of our new friends here who have lived here for 10 + years have also agreed that this is the coldest London has been and is quite unusual. This makes me feel better, in hopes the cold snap won't last forever. It's not awful because it does feel so seasonal and snow is pretty, but it is cold enough to keep us inside instead of at the park.

Wil got off work early this past week, and when he came home we went straight back outside to go sledding, throw snowballs, and make a snowman. Some new friends up the street thought the snowman was built by our neighbors (who they are really good friends with) so they decorated him with scarf, sunglasses, and carrot nose. It wasn't until the next day they realized it was ours! Our snowman had another wardrobe change into new sunglasses (first were gone), an Atlanta Braves hat (how did they know we were fans?), and the same scarf. The nose was gone (hungry fox, perhaps?). Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of him, and he has kind of taken a hit (literally) lately as he is crumbling and breaking apart. Our entrance certainly looked very festive and fun for a few days!

I am of course amused amid the cancellation of and getting out early for the flurries back home. But even more amused that Alabama fans were so concerned James Spann would interrupt the National Championship to tell you that 2 snowflakes have fallen, and no they are not sticking. (I'm kind of going on the assumption that nothing stuck in B'ham.) Poor sweet James Spann. All he does, alerting us to tornados, being in cahoots with the Piggly Wiggly and helping them sell out of milk and bread faster than you can say "snow flurry." I could go on, but you can read my post about him instead. Y'all. Don't send James Spann hate mail. That is low. Really low.

Yes. We were those people (like the only ones on our street) sledding and rolling snowman body parts. A sweet older couple stopped and talked to us. They said they were glad someone was enjoying the snow, and concurred that this is totally uncharacteristic weather for London. When we told them where we were from, they had that look of "oh, that explains it." And of course as most people ask, "Is this your son's first time to see snow? I bet he loves it!"

Thankfully, we can reply "Actually, he's seen snow before. 2 snowflakes that never stick."

(embellishment. it snowed a lot at wake last winter. a lot for the south of course.)