I’m sitting in my office (or den, as I prefer to think of it) waiting for some tasks to complete on the computer. As ever, there are other things I’d rather be doing on the computer, which, despite working very well at the moment, is overdue a bit of housekeeping, and another backup of the C drive before I do.
Which finds me where I am, waiting for a backup to complete
that initially said 28 minutes, and now says it will take considerably more.
However, not all is lost by a long way because I’m able to use the computer
while this is going on in the background.
My office is basically a small single bedroom, which, with
the bed removed provides more than enough room for me. It’s easy to keep warm, has
plenty of space for storage and files, my computering bits and pieces, and the
like. One of its best assets (apart from an old but restored pedestal desk) is
the large window across one wall. From it, I see out across the garden, across
a field and way into the countryside. It is a view that always excites the
eyes. I can see a neighbour’s house, but I have to look for it, which for me is
as good as it gets.
On the windowsill is an insulated mug of black coffee. More
often than not, I have mug of coffee to my left, within easy arms reach, but
not where I’ll inadvertently knock it over the desk, keyboard, my graphics tablet,
or myself! These things happen, sometimes I drift, and (dare I admit it?) nod
off occasionally!
Looking out of the window today, I’m glad that I’m indoors.
There is a strong wind blowing from the South, rain is striking the window, and
there’s enough snow mixed into what is in effect a sleet shower, that it is
clouding the near distance and removing the view somewhat. Not simply falling
either, it is almost horizontal, such is the strength of the wind.
Our forecast today predicts the possibility of heavy snow in
the next three hours, but in my opinion before that happens we need to see the
wind veer round more towards the east (currently we are West of South, and we
need to be at least east of South for the cold air over Europe to blast in on
our little corner of Britain).
In my neck of the woods, it’s the chilly east wind in winter
that really brings heavy snow. Back in the 80s, we had a spell of about a week
suffering easterlies and the temperature plummeted to more as you would expect
in Siberia. It tends not to work its way inland too far, and so the eastern
half of our County (Kent) basically seized up with the band of snow extending
as far as East Sussex, and perhaps just reaching London to our North East.
I remember that the rest of the country was more or less
snow free, (east wind precipitation hereabouts be it rain or snow tends to be heavy,
and it finishes somewhere to our west as a definite line-you can be soaking wet,
and 10 feet further westwards, be dry) and for us, travel became very difficult
for a few days. The trains couldn’t run, and in those days of British Rail,
they were able to bring in special snowplough trains from “up north”, with even
some from Scotland that took more than a day to transport down the network.
Well, that was then, this is now. We may well get the heavy
fall of snow within the next 3 to 4 hours, and it may well keep snowing into
the night, but if it does, it will stop before dawn, I reckon, and the air will
warm up noticeably (if the forecast is to be believed!).
During the meanwhile, I’m going to enjoy doing Photoshop on
my computer, watching the snow come down outside my window, possibly building
on the windowsill, as it does, and I will enjoy keeping my mug of coffee on the
go, keeping snug and warm, and glad that I have no need to go out!
The only downside to my plan is that every Sunday Anna and I
like to go to The Bowl Inn in Hastingleigh, which is about 7 miles away, is one
of Kent’s highest pubs, and as such subject to the worst of severe weather (as
well as some of the best the good weather!). Each week, we see many of the
usual regulars, and is always pleasant to do so. If we don’t go, I know I’ll
miss it, the company, and on winter evenings, sitting around one of their
roaring fires.
I will miss it, but it makes no sense to risk driving
through remote snow covered lanes just to avoid some regrets, by possibly
adding others!
Time will tell.
