Trust me to open my big mouth yesterday. What did I say about the snow?

16cm of the stuff fell in the night - that's six inches in old money. 6.3 to be precise. Not Washington or Baltimore, admittedly, but enough to bring the place to a standstill. We are once again in a white, white world. 

I went out for a walk in it just now, which was very hard going. There is, strangely, not a single animal track in the snow today - perhaps it's so deep they daren't venture out. Consequently I've given the birds a double helping of grub, plus lots of warm water, and put out vegetable peelings for the deer, if they should stray by. 

When the snow fell back in December, I didn't really get out in it much because I couldn't get my wellies on after my foot ops. So it was nice to benefit from it today - bitter NE wind and all. It is incredibly bright and sunny, with an alpine blue sky, so once into my kit I was as warm as toast. In case you're wondering, this is:

Cycling thermals, ski gloves, angora back-warmer and thermal socks from Lidl

Cashmere poloneck

Down jacket

Skiing trousers and microfibre balaclava from a local sports shop

Neoprene-lined wellies by Aigle

Guy Cotton yachtsman's jacket

Pull-on hat with brim. 

OK, I look two feet tall, but who cares? I could throw myself down and make snow angels without even feeling it.

The poor dog had to stop every five minutes to pull snowballs off his ankles, and every so often would disappear into a ditch, only his nose visible, but he's had a great time charging around. 

Once back in, I have again togged up: angora long-johns, silk vest, CC41 thermal t-shirt, cashmere polo, Shetland gilet, cashmere cardigan, merino trousers, thermal socks, Ugg boots, woolly hat and fingerless gloves. I seem to be wearing a small flock of sheep all to myself. 

Oh la, enjoy it while it lasts, I suppose - thank heavens I got in two weeks' shopping on Monday....

I must now confess to being somewhat fed-up with the weather.

We've been snowed in now for most of the time since December 13, only able to make odd forays to the (curiously empty) supermarkets, then sliding back down our snowy/icy hill (see pic) and lugging in the shopping from the gate because we literally dare not drive into the courtyard.

Friends have become phone and email entities (when we haven't lost web access, that is, like we did all this weekend) and there is not a sound of a car or a tractor to be heard. 

Here in mixed-farming country, there is little need for the farmers to drive their tractors on the snow-covered roads unless they have cattle to feed. The pigs and fowl are safely in their heated sheds, the winter wheat and oats are safely in the ground, and everything else won't be planted until spring. In fact, in this clayey country, the farmers are probably rubbing their hands at how the winter weather is doing their sod-busting for them. 

The main roads around us have been cleared by the councils, but the smaller roads remain untouched and lethally slippery, with more snow and freezing rain on the way. Today, therefore, we ventured out and stocked up for another good two weeks, as we just don't know if and when we'll get out again. The supermarket carpark was an ice rink and we've had one fatality up the lane where an old man slipped and cracked his head on the ice. 

Still, the enforced solitude and the inability to get on with the garden have finally spurred me to do some 'sorting' out and clothing repairs. I sat down last night to darn a cashmere sweater that had ripped in the armscye and found 10 small holes in it, mostly courtesy of the cats, and finally plugged them all up.

Darning was one of those things my grandad taught me to do and it's stood me in good stead over the years - I can still see him now, in his old people's bungalow, patiently darning his socks over a darning mushroom.

Oh well, off to light the woodburner, and as I type down comes the snow again, this time near-horizontal, driven by an easterly wind. The activities of daily living certainly do seem to take up an inordinate amount of time in winter....

»  Click here to see some photos of our local landscape ...

Since I have five minutes to spare, thought I'd settle down for a pre-Christmas blog.

Most of us are having a bit of trouble getting in the festive mood, however. All over this area, people's heating systems have been breaking down. One friend has no kitchen heat while another has no hot water either.

Back in Blighty, my sister's new electric fire has finally arrived, after many delays, and the packaging has shifted and she can't get it open to install it. No snuggling round the woodburner for her, then, but rather a chilly Christmas, as she has no radiator in the room where this stove is supposed to go. Nor does she now think she will be able to make her trip to Germany after Christmas, as planned.

The Christmas parcel she sent me (one of three) arrived damaged and with some of the contents missing. No sign of the other two parcels, and this is the second damaged package in two days (when the post resumed). Since my sister wraps things tighter than Fort Knox, I am a tad surprised, but must assume that French Customs or someone enjoyed my tasty Christmas present of traditional English sweets from the covered market in Doncaster. 

Having been snowed in, here in rural France, for the past week, we are also feeling a tad fed-up with it now. In normal circumstances, I wouldn't mind, but being unable to walk very much, following multiple small surgeries, having infected stitches that needed removal urgently, all of my cats being ill with a virus and not being able to get any antibiotics, etc, the timing might have been better.

We have pulled one cat through the worst of her illness, we hope, but another now has an infected eye and there's no way we can get him the 23km to the vet in this snow and fog. We have antibiotic drops for him, and will have to hope for the best until hopefully the snow thaws tomorrow or the next day. 

The Black and White party that we planned for the 18th, for about 40 people, had to be cancelled because of the snow. We rescheduled it for the 20th and had to cancel again because of the ice - 16 people, including us, couldn't get out of their courtyards. We've now rescheduled for the 28th and just have to hope that the weather will break enough for people to get here. If not, we will officially call it quits and try to do something in the spring. 

And meanwhile, I am starting a nice cough, which I am hoping against hope won't lead to my usual bout of winter bronchitis. 

Still, yesterday, in the brief hiatus between black ice and a new snowfall, and after four hours of laying down branches, sand, straw, bitumen felt and carpet (none of which worked), we did at least manage to get out of our courtyard and I was able to get to the doctor, so we also did our Christmas shop. Foie gras, brioche, smoked salmon, leg of lamb with trimmings, raspberry mousse log, chocolates and Bailey's might go some way towards cheering us up.

And provided we stay put and wrapped up warm, let us hope that now, all will be well!