Here today, gone tomorrow.

    Well actually, here yesterday, gone today. The snow, that is. Yesterday we were treated to the most amazing and (obviously) unexpected late snowfall. It crept up on us during the day, and by the evening was a veritable blizzard, with fine but persistent snow being blown by an icy wind into quite deep drifts. At 3pm I went, as usual, to collect Grandson from school, and though it was snowing a bit and the wind was bitter, it wasn't a bad journey. We got back here and tucked ourselves in to wait for Daughter. By 5pm though, the weather had really turned nasty, and the traffic outside was creeping along icy white tracks. Daughter arrived at 6.15 and scooped up Grandson to go home. Hah! One hour later she phoned from her mobile and was stuck close to Brighton Pier (about a ten minute drive normally),  in a non-moving queue of traffic. In the end it took  them another hour and a half to get to the Lewes Road, and they had to leave the car and walk up Elm Grove to their flat - it was just too steep and icy to chance driving up the hill.
   This morning things were no better, so they stayed at home. Surprisingly, Grandson's school was actually open, but many  local schools were closed. And no-one could get to Daughter's office unless they could walk - so it was an enforced chill-out day. I got up to give my Student breakfast, but she didn't want it and took herself back to bed! So, a housebound day all round. By this afternoon though, the snow had practically melted and traffic was back to normal. I've seen on the news that many unlucky people were trapped in their cars all night. And everyone is blaming the lack of gritters. I have to say that we do seem to react very badly to a few measly inches of snow...