Sunday, February 26

 

 

We got up late, having stayed up to watch the whole of Poirrot. We have both had brunch and now I am looking out at the back garden and the house behind. I watch snow falling hard in small flakes and notice that the trees have gained a new white coat. A couple of days ago everything suggested the arrival of Spring, and now it seems impossible to feel anything except wintry.

I console myself with the though that this constitutes the back-winter and in a few weeks we will go to India to (almost certainly) return to a Finnish Spring.

In the afternoon we will collect Naa from work and go to visit Irma’s father. When we return the snow-blading will call to me, and I will spend an hour clearing the paths and the drive. When I last did it, I had to shovel thick, wet snow – and lots of it. Today I only have to deal with a thin coating of mostly fresh snow, and the work feels light and relaxing. I will remake Sunshine’s path since he seems to prefer trudging through snow on his usual route rather than vary his route to fit in with the paths I have made.

He will use it almost immediately.

We will all eat the rest of the salmon, which tastes even better the second day. Irma will drive Naa home, and we will both have showers before going to bed early.