Shivering in the snow

What a cold snap we've just had in Berkshire - cascades of snow, sleet, hail and that most English of phenomena, black ice. This is ice that lurks on the road but, in place of being white and easily visible (as all decent ice should be) it is a swart and shadowy film of slipperiness on the equally dark tarmac. Tricky stuff, and the small patch I hit while turning out of the little close we live in was lethal enough to send my large 4x4 sliding gently across the road to fetch up against the kerb with a very expensive crunch. Some interesting damage to the steering and suspension arms, and a salutary lesson that having 4 powered wheels does not help on snow and ice unless you also have studded tyres.


Never mind, Lily enjoyed it. She's a little dynamo now, and difficult to catch if she's in elusive mode, but she really enjoys being outdoors. Hopefully her Dad will soon get a real life somewhere sunny, instead of working hunched over a laptop all day and going home to a post-war semi in a damp country.

As Lily grows, the resemblance to Marcela becomes more pronounced. I'm grateful she didn't look like me, girls should be more delicate than that. Henry on the other hand is already a chunky little bloke, full of smiles and generally as happy as a clam except when he needs food or changing. They were both near as dammit 10 pounds at birth but I suspect will end up physically quite differently constructed.

Three months to go (from mid-March) until our summer holiday when we look forward to hosting some of our African family and spending weeks frolicking in the sun in England and France...