At Clumber Park in Nottinghamshire there is a festive Snowman trail. Each of the twelve snowmen are decorated to represent the song twelve days of Christmas and are based on the favourite character of artist Raymond Briggs.
A Partridge in a Pear Tree
Seven Swans a Swimming
Eight maids a milking
Six geese a laying
Four calling birds
Five Gold Rings
Two turtle doves
As you can see we only found seven of them! We didn't have the time to walk and find all twelve. Also, of the photos above only one, Five Gold Rings, is mine as something happened to my camera and half my photos were lost. Paul took the others. We think it may have been the card rather than the camera.
The other five snowmen were around the lake, it was getting cold and light was fading fast. Time to move on to our hotel for the evening. We were staying over as we had to visit a relative in hospital. She is now being looked after in a special room for end of life care. Her children and sister with her. The evening before our visit they were allowed to take her favourite cat to spend time with her. All very sad. The drive home was horrendous, wind, rain, squall, mist, heavy traffic with bright, distorted lights almost all the way and then less than five minutes from home the road was blocked by blue flashing lights and we had to find another way back to our house in rush hour traffic and pouring rain. We were so happy to be home.
We had a quick walk out this morning and then it was time to batten down the hatches ready for the promised weekend storm.
Locally lots of events are cancelled including Trentham's Winter Light Trail and Biddulph Grange's Festive Lights. I think tomorrow is a day to stay inside and start to write Christmas cards ready for posting next week. We have a butternut squash that will hopefully make warming, nourishing soup.
Here is a - link - to the National Trust's Clumber Park website. I see that they too are closed to visitors due to tomorrow's expected storm.
Stay safe and warm everyone.
