A different Christmas

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, and are still enjoying the wonders of the season.
Our Christmas this year was quite different- friends who usually call in on Christmas Day were unable to, I didn't make it to church, all due to icy roads. And yet I have never been so disorganised, to a point where I was glad it was just ourselves! I'm putting it down to the effort of getting around- my car has not left the driveway in 10 days- and of keeping warm- this old house has many chilly spots and draughts. But we survived, and in spite of unfinished shopping and burnt-to-a-cinder turkey, we had a lovely time.
We dream of a White Christmas, some of us remember a white one or two from our childhood days, though it may not have been "on the day". But none of us have witnessed anything like these last few weeks. Temperatures reached record lows all over Ireland this week. Dublin Airport had to close several times, as the snow was falling so fast, they couldn't keep the runway free of snow and ice. Some people didn't make it home for Christmas, and some were stranded here. Schools had to close, once again, so the kids got an early Christmas holiday - hurrah!!
Some people even made igloos, and I've heard reports of communities drinking mulled wine at the local igloo!
Christmas Day, while the turkey was burning, hubby and I went for a walk in the local park, and people were sledding on the hill- we could easily have been in Austria, all we were short of was a chair lift!
These icicles were just outside my kitchen window- never, ever, have I seen this kind of thing.


Some of you may remember these snowmen from last year, we always stick them on the window, but they've never had that kind of backdrop before!







Trinity College, Douglas Hyde Gallery entrance.

This reminded me of New York on Christmas Eve; I've always longed to be there, from what I've seen in films. So this was the next best thing.

Molly Malone looks pretty cold. I'd wheel my barrow home if I were her!

And some of College Green, with snow pelting down. There began a mild panic then, with lots of people leaving work early to make sure they'd get home.

And to finish, these are a few photos I took at the start of this cold spell, before the real snow began. This bird seemed to be performing for me, as though he/she was on the catwalk, looking this way and that.

And now, we've returned to temps above freezing, but with lots of floods as the thaw sets in. And we're waiting for the snow to avalanche down from the roof. It rumbles every few hours, and I'm waiting for it to slip off, and hoping it doesn't decide to bring a few tiles on the journey! I've seen hanging eve gutters, pulled down with the weight of snow on them. This is the part I dislike. Intensely.

All good things come to an end. Awww.