Snapshot Saturday: I’d rather not be in a mudslick

This week’s WordPress Photo Challenge invites us to show images of where we’d rather be at the moment.  Well, I’ll tell you where I’d rather not be, and that’s here, in North Yorkshire.

I love Yorkshire, and I’m happy to agree that it’s ‘God’s own country’.  But frankly, life here is a little trying just now.  Like most of England, we had The Beast from the East a couple of weeks ago bearing snow, blizzard and fierce wind.  And much of the rest of the time it’s been raining.  This photo was taken a couple of months ago: since then, things have only got worse.

This is what our country walks have become: Nutwith Common in January

So how about a little trip back to the Ariège, where we lived from 2007 to 2014?  Here’s a selection of photos, all taken there in March or very early April.  Down in the foothills of the Pyrenees where we lived, blossoms were out, and wild daffodils carpeted the more out-of-the-way hills.  At the weekend we would head off for Montségur and higher land to enjoy the snow that was still thick there.  We were never fans of snow-shoeing, but now I’d be more than happy to exchange their crisp deep snow for our thick deep mud.

 

The Dolomies near Foix
Blossom on our path.
Wild daffodils in the Dolomies.
A view from a garden in the hills near Foix.
Lace de Montbel.
Montsegur looms above the snow.
Near Montferrier.
Still deep snow near Montferrier.
The Pyrenees seen from Croquié,

Click on any photo to see it full size.

Author: margaret21

I'm retired and living in North Yorkshire, where I walk as often as I can, write, volunteer, and travel as often as I can.

31 thoughts on “Snapshot Saturday: I’d rather not be in a mudslick”

  1. I was there for the ‘Beast’ and my hire car sat under a mound of snow for five days! Now in the sunshine on the other side of the world 🙂

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  3. That picture of the trees in the snow is stunning!
    Yes, I agree, North Yorkshire isn’t at its beautiful best right now. We spend quite a time planning walking routes that won’t have us bogged down in mud. And guess what – as I type this it is snowing (yet again).

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  4. Those photos look like heaven on earth, even the snowy ones! Your winter season has been so grim and the mud takes all the fun out of hiking. I hope spring comes soon, for all of us!

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      1. Sorry! I can just see a Yorkshire Charles Wilson singing ‘I’m just a Nutwith Common boy…got Nutwith mud on my boots..’.

        Mind you, they don’t have the months of cold weather, overcast skies and rain that goes with it.

        Because I am not always where I want to be, I have a rule not to wish I was anywhere else than I am. I can’t enter this week without breaking it.

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  6. I understand you; and although I’m living right outside of Paris, in the ‘Green Belt’, it’s quit miserable here too. But then we have one day of sunshine and we pop out full of enthusiasm and hope of spring finally being upon us, only to wake up the morning after by the rain drumming once again on roof and against windows. HH’s first ‘walk’ is down to the heating room to see if he has to hoover up anything between 10-45l of water coming through the floor. This being the only room in the basement, it’s a great ‘control’ of how much the water-table under our property is raising….! It’s not a problem really, everything else is under control but the fact that we are built on an important groundwater table!
    On another subject alltogether. I guess you can see my email address, I’d like to send you a podcast which made me think strongly of ‘Fanny’ and her life-story. Or shall I add it here? Love and wishes for a happy, if somewhat soggy, weekend!

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    1. No, I can’t see your email address. Welcome back! I’ve missed you. I’d love to hear that podcast while trying to keep warm though.

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  7. It’s even snowing again here right now – and predicted to snow all day tomorrow. Maybe the new snow will hide the mud for you – at least for a while? I do sympathise; it has been grim down here and we’ve had it lightly (both mud and snow). But you’re french photos are glorious. Now there’s proper snow for you! And spring as it should be! Keep warm and dry 🙂

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      1. Ouch! Us southerners are wimps and the race my son was running as part of his prep for a half and then a full marathon in a few weeks’ time has simply been cancelled. (Just as well for him as he’s injured and would probably have attempted it anyway had it been going ahead.) Good luck to Ellie! By the time the big race comes around the weather will be perfect and this will be a distant memory 🙂

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  8. I share you views. Here on the east coast of Norfolk it’s absolutely freezing – the wind coming in from the sea is bitter. Wrapped up for the afternoon in a blanket….oh as I type I can see snow starting – looking like a blizzard. Come on Spring!

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  10. Beautiful photographs Margaret. I’m still in the honeymoon period of living in Correze so there is nowhere I’d rather be at the moment. I keep being told it’s been a very wet winter here but hasn’t been too bad in my book. I think we get the cold snap tomorrow but not much snow forecast. Stay warm.

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  11. Pingback: I’d rather be ….looking at the reflections – What's (in) the picture?

  13. I can quite see why you’d rather be thinking about an unmuddy spring and your photos capture its beauty. I think that spring in the UK is always a long time coming but the current extreme weather (and extreme mud) must make the prolonged winter a real trial. Wishing you better walking weather soon and keep warm.

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  14. Warm? Warm? What’s that? I don’t understand this word. Yes, with Easter on its way I think we’re entitled to feel that spring is too. Ah well……

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