a little bit of snow

pine cones in snow - Ailish Sinclair, author

How could I have forgotten what proper cold feels like? It pulls you up short as you realise that just breathing in the sub zero air is going to chill you, no matter how well wrapped up you are. And the dark, the days that don’t begin until half way through the morning and seem to end at 3 in the afternoon. This is the truth of December in Scotland. Even when there is only a tiny amount of snow.

Scots Pine in snow - Ailish Sinclair, author

I complain (this was especially evident during the five hour power cut we had last week), but I love it. It’s a time of hibernation, of books and log fires, and writing, writing, writing; no hot sun to distract and lure, only the occasional frosty bright sunrise. And that little bit of snow.

sunrise over the loch - Ailish Sinclair, author

I’m also enjoying all the Christmas cookies and hot chocolate of the season, sparkly tree lights, nostalgia made real.

It’ll all be over soon. The Solstice will herald the lightening of the nights, that’s always noticeable quite quickly. But for now I appreciate the views of winter: the loch is frozen and my neighbour forgot to take in his boat, now also frozen.

boat om a frozen loch - Ailish Sinclair, author

And the field makes me think of chocolate cake dusted with icing sugar…

fields dusted with snow - Ailish Sinclair, author

My books:

Ailish's books

FIREFLIES AND CHOCOLATE was inspired by the 18th century kidnapped children of Aberdeen.

Set in a castle, THE MERMAID AND THE BEAR features the Scottish witchcraft accusations and a love story.

Paperbacks and kindle: http://author.to/mermaid

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12 Replies to “a little bit of snow”

  1. I like your point about forgetting what real cold feels like until it hits you again – can be a bit of a challenge when you need to write about summer in the middle of winter and vice versa!

    1. Very fortuitous! I always seem to be writing out of season… These pictures are beautiful. I can just imagine that frozen boat as the final shot of a film… Or the end of a story?

  2. Hi Ailish (lovely name by the way) – I had to respond to this. Where I live now in the Great White North, there is no such thing as a “little bit of snow” 🙂 Winter here is generally freezing and this year, there has been no end to the snow. Good thing is that it inspired me to pen my first Winter poem “Hello Winter” Thankfully, I can find the beauty in this uncompromising season. Your photos are gorgeousl!

  3. There is such great beauty to be found in extreme weather conditions! This is the first Scottish winter I’ve known where we haven’t had road-blocking blizzards…

  4. So beautiful Ailish! It’s harsh and magical at the same time – also – somehow a time to withdraw within and meditate, a time to be enriched. Thank you for sharing!

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