Waiting for Aslan

I know it shouldn't be surprising that it's still wintery in February, but I was kind of hoping that the new month would bring some sign that spring was coming. Certainly, it's getting lighter earlier in the mornings and taking longer before darkness descends in the evening.  In addition, the green shoots of the bulbs I planted in the autumn are showing through; the shrubs that I thought had died over winter are also sprouting new buds of leaves.  Where there is broken bark, there is hope.

And then the snow came again.  The east and south of England were worst hit, but here in Rochdale, we got a nice covering... along with gale force winds and freezing temperatures that made the -1°C temperature feel more like -5°C.

Here are some photos:





Rocky really loves the snow.  I really love the way the snow sticks to him and then leaves little puddles of water all over the house as it melts.





But as usual, it seems to have been winter forever, and there's still at least two months of it to go.  And summer never, ever, follows.  It's like living in Narnia under the spell of the White Witch.  Always winter and never Christmas.  And even though we do have Christmas, that was crap this time.

At least the sun is shining.  We certainly won't see that between June and September, so I should be thankful for it now, even with the freezing temperatures.

Blind in one eye

Anyway, things aren't that bad and the prospect of spring and sunshine has prompted me to start wearing my contact lenses again.  Why, when I can't see out of my right eye with them, I don't know, but being able to see is a small price to pay to be able to wear sunglasses.  Sunglasses are the most fantastic addition to any outfit (apart from a beige jumper of course).  Unfortunately, I always look a total twat when I'm wearing them, but I look a twat whether I'm wearing sunglasses or not.  The best thing about them is the way they hide the dark circles and bags under my eyes.... oh and the way they protect my eyesight from harmful UV rays of course.

Working from home

I've been working from home these past couple of days. Aware that the weather might turn and delay my journey home from work and being worried about getting home for the dog, I thought it sensible to stay here and be very productive indeed.  It's OK working from home, coffee on tap, warmth (compared to my office at work), saving on petrol... Rocky.

Rocky is a lovely little beast, but he won't leave me alone while I'm trying to work.  Always insisting on sitting on me, jealous that my fingers are tapping the keyboard and not tickling his ears, he has a habit of nudging my hand away from the keys.  It's quite irritating, but kind of lovely.

Here he is on my knee:



Awwww.

Better get back to work and send some very stern e-mails to people who don't know what they're talking about.