No Two Years Alike

A year ago, as this weekend, I walked to the top of Swinner Gill in the sunshine with blue skies overhead.  It was glorious; the birds were singing, early spring flowes were blooming and frogs were spawning in shallow, clear water.

 



This is the scene today and it couldn't be more different. It is, of course, not the same view as the photo above, as it is not fit for man nor beast to be up Swinner Gill today and, in fact, these photos don't do justice to the truly appalling arctic conditions that is the reality of our weather at this moment.  It has been snowing all day and the howling wind has blown and whipped the snow into a frenzy.  It is by far the worst weather we have had all winter.  Thankfully we haven't started lambing yet but we are greatly concerned for our farming friends further down the dale and in Wensleydale who will be lambing already.  They will be having a pitifully dreadful time of it. 

The snow is drifting making moving about impossible except in a tractor however that hasn't stopped an endless stream of cars and vans trying.  The A66, the main trans-pennine route in the north of England, has been closed all day so drivers think they will try the B6270.  Why they think a single track road across the moors will be passable I can't imagine!