Winter Days Diary - Frosty Day

7th December 2008

At last, whiteness! There was but one place I could go to catch the last of the sun. I went back to Telegraph Woods. Had lots of fun playing in the mud again. This time I was on a mission to get photographs of the views from the edges of the woods and of the main features - the beacon, the earthwork, the lake and the clearings. Fortunately, the frost was still lying on the sheltered open ground around the lake and in the foresty clearing a little further on, and also on the golf course and the open spaces around the Rose Bowl.

I met a mad boxer dog that seemed intent on getting this one branch detached from its tree; apparently this was no youngster. This hooligan is 10 years old. The chap and his daughter with the boxer also had a dear little wiry terrier which came and sat at my feet, gazing up at me with one paw lifted. What could I do? She was very happy to be fussed.

Later on, I met a young black labrador. As I said "Hello dog" to it (as you do), around a clump of shrub and trees I came upon the owner in jeans and white shoes staring rather forlornly at the thick, black mud. I advised him that the way improves uphill. That didn't help his present predicament but he thanked me anyway and began to rather gingerly pick his way around the goo. I had thick boots on (no gaiters - hurry up, Santa!) so I just waded through.

It was a lovely, cold walk with a dusting of frost to make a pleasant change to the usual drabness of the damp and the sun golden and heatless sinking into the west.