No Snow

Icelandic Whooper swans long ago booked their winter package holiday to the relatively mild delights of Wheldrake Ings, near York in northern England (a few miles from here), and will not wish to see a repeat of the extreme weather that started in late 2010 - they might as well not have bothered to migrate south a year ago in their majestic V formation.  At the end of last November we were already plunged into a harsh and snowy winter, so it's good news that the mostly mild autumn has continued with precious little rain, and only strong winds to worry about. Some parts of the UK are even experiencing drought conditions - it would be strange to see hosepipe bans in January !

We live in a rural location with no public transport to speak of, and the nearest shop, since our village post office closed a few years back, is six miles away. One of the main problems of persistent cold weather is the cost - most people in the countryside are still reliant on oil heating delivered by large tankers, which is becoming ever more expensive. Folk are also forced to use private cars to get about, and as everybody knows we are still a long way from finding a cheap and environmentally friendly alternative to petrol or diesel.

It's a shame that most of the sustainable energy schemes are profit-driven, because our community and many others could easily benefit from cheap or free wind and water power, but many of the plans put forward are rejected by locals as a blot on the landscape, which might elicit a very different response if we saw a lasting substantial reduction in power bills from genuinely co-operative proposals.

Unless our Lotto numbers come up this week we will not be able to afford to order any heating oil, which also provides hot water, as there is a minimum 500 litre delivery payable in advance. We'll have to struggle through the Christmas and New Year period, before begging some cash from relatives to half-fill the tank with this precious resource. We are still allowed to burn coal and logs in our remote location, but this is no more economical, and certainly no better for the environment.

A real fire is a real joy though, particularly if you have a glass of whisky in one hand and a good book in the other. Then it's possible to forget about cold fingers and toes, and ignore the deteriorating weather beyond your condensated windows and mouldy walls - the radiators might not be radiating, but the heart can still find warmth. And when it finally does snow, at least the kids will love their sledging and snowballing.