Our first family experience of snow. Day one, after hiring and buying the gear in a chaotic, typically disorganised fashion, saw us off to Smiggins Holes for ski lessons. What a treat the children looked in their puffy outfits, helmets, goggles and mittens. They took to it like naturals. Up the Magic Carpet and snow ploughing down tentatively at first but rapidly growing in confidence.
We also had an opportunity to build snow men at Perisher in the midst of a small snow flurry with limited visibility. This was one of the major conquests of the entire trip. Skiing was anticipated with wide-eyed, innocent interest, but making a snowman - now that was huge! Next time we must bring a carrot, a top hat, buttons and two pieces of coal.
Snow
by Walter de la Mare
by Walter de la Mare
No breath of wind,
No gleam of sun -
Still the white snow
Whirls softly down
Twig and bough
And blade and thorn
All in an icy
Quiet, forlorn.
Whispering, rustling,
Through the air
On still and stone,
Roof, - everywhere,
It heaps its powdery
Crystal flakes,
Of every tree
A mountain makes;
'Til pale and faint
At shut of day
Stoops from the West
One wint'ry ray,
And, feathered in fire
Where ghosts the moon,
A robin shrills
His lonely tune.
