The Moment

Snow's transforming qualities are seen everywhere. It performs a fine job in improving the looks of our local streets. So making the effort to get into the wilder parts of Blacka might seem unnecessary given the problems of moving about. Paths are heavy going. Roads are unpredictable and some of the driving seen is extraordinary. 

It's common for snow ploughs to shove all the snow into lay-bys meaning there's nowhere to stop, car parks being out of the question. But today a snow plough driver had done a magnificent job on the Hathersage Road and all lay-bys were usable.

We know what we're going to see anyway – the standard 'winter wonderland' scene that graces so many calendars. But today it's a bit more.

The moment is everything with extreme weather. Our expectations were exceeded and a new world revealed that takes even old codgers back to childhood. The stillness of the air combined with the first sun for many days created fantasy effects among the trees. As on other occasions I find myself saying “I could have missed this”.