White Christmas

Waterford got plenty of snow last winter. Everything looked so neat.

In the beginning, the falling snow melted after touching the ground. After a month, it started to stay longer and longer.

I am pretty sure that this House of Waterford Crystal employee didn’t have ‘shoveling snow’ in his job description.

After a couple of days like that, people started storing bread and milk.

Then the storm came.

The following morning Waterford was all white and desolate.

I walked right in the middle of the former streets.

South Kilkenny on the other side of River Suir also looked quiet.

I walked past the Rice bridge with my bag of bird seed and apples, cleared the snow from the places with the bird tracks, and tossed a good few handfuls on the ground. Two bridges were barely visible through the falling snow.

Back in town, I learned that Centra across the bus station was the only shop that was open. By the size of the queue outside the shop I could tell that people ran out of bread already.

Reginald Tower has seen snow before. At least in 1987.

When I tried to walk through the smaller streets, sometimes I had to turn back – the drifts were higher than my knees. I know it sounds pathetic to the readers from Canada or Norway.

The other half of my apples went to the flock of cute visitors from Iceland – Redwings.

The storm doesn’t calm down, and I am sorry for the little Redwings. On a day like this, it is nice to be inside, cuddled up with an old friend 😉

I didn’t have enough confidence to build a snowman in the street, but after returning home I could not resist anymore and built a tiny snowman on my windowsill. Snow in Ireland is a rare occurrence. You never know if you live to see another snowfall.

My baby cacti plants are obviously excited about the snow and both sprout flowers.

Unfortunately, these are events of the past. White Christmas is still a dream this December.

Today the streets look as normal – no snow, no excitement.

Of course we have decorations, pony rides, carousels and Ferris wheels, like we always have had at this time of the year, but we are so missing those crystals of frozen water!

I guess we have to be happy with what we have.

Merry Christmas, Friends!

Hope you always find peace, and give your heart to everything you do.

 

PS: More music on Thom’s blog The Immortal Jukebox – C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S Alphabet throughout December.

147 comments

  4. Merry Christmas, Inese. Your windowsill snowman is adorable! I’d be willing to try that – if I could do so without opening the window and letting in that frigid winter air.

  6. Happy Christmas from Pretoria, South Africa, where it’s nowhere close to freezing: over 30 degrees most days. But still good to have a holiday at this time of the year. Thank you for all the excellent pictures and descriptions during 2018. Best wishes for the new year.

  7. I thoroughly enjoyed this wintry snowy look at last year in Waterford, Inese. Oh my goodness, the snow just kept coming! You did a good job of building the suspense, especially with the photos of the snow falling under the light fixture. To me in California where the sun is currently shining, it looks like another planet. lol. I absolutely loved your snowman. Great photos and a great series, my friend. My best to you for a delightful holiday.

    1. Thank you so much, Jet! The most dramatic snow storm happened in the very last days of February, but I never used the pictures until now. It was something out of a fairy tale 🙂
      Hope you have a wonderful holiday season!

      1. We only get snow here if it comes from the east. In winter the east wind in Kent can be so, so cold. I was told that it’s because we don’t get the jet stream. Whatever, it gets seriously cold ~ George

  11. White is the colour of virtue and tranquility, of beginning and end and of unadulterated purity, and memories cute like a snowman on a window sill. As always, the recollections have melded with the images and are aglitter with the light and warmth of remembered happiness.

    1. Thank you so much, friend! It was a magic experience when I went out in the morning and the city was white and abandoned 🙂 I think it was the last day of February.

    1. Oh I believe you do 🙂 This snowfall happened in the end of February when no one expected it to come. Hope you get yourself a white Christmas next year 🙂

  14. Yesterday in Montreal it was pouring rain…this morning at least some snow flakes are falling, nothing like what’s on yours beautiful pics, Merry Christmas!

    1. Merry Christmas! We too have nothing but rain. This beauty happened last February-March 🙂 I didn’t have a chance to share the pictures until now.

      1. Yes, we’re having a white Christmas, the town where we live, Porvoo, looks picture perfect in the snow 😊

  18. How lovely! I just bought some Waterford crystal for my daughter-in-law for Christmas. I would one day like to visit where you live. How pretty. I liked the pictures of the snow under the lamps best. Although, your birds on branches looked fluffy and pretty.
    Merry Christmas, Inese. 🙂

    1. Thank you so much, Cindy! I hope your daughter-in-law enjoys your gift. I am afraid you won’t see any snow when you visit though, since it happens once in 30 years 🙂 But you will like the evergreen winter 🙂 Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones!

  19. Reminds me of the snowstorms and blizzards in New York City and New Jersey However your town is more picturesque.

    I know about shoveling snow because if we don’t we won’t be able to get out of the door! Of course the kids get excited because then the mayor and governor declare a snow emergency and virtually everything shuts down except for essential services like the police Department, fire fighters, hospitals, group homes for disabled People, etc…

    Personally I don’t like Snow but if I don’t have to go out in it then I stay home and enjoy hot chocolate.

    1. Thank you for your comment! I agree about the snow 🙂 I love it in the pictures 🙂 Ireland hasn’t seen such snow since 1987. Shoveling is a rare pastime – snow usually melts 🙂

  20. Your lovely photographs took me back in time, although last time I was in Waterford it was rain not snow. I do have a soft spot for the place, notwithstanding I’ve only visited just two times. Splendid blog post, as ever, Inese.

    1. Thank you so much, Mike! I do hope you guys make it to Ireland some day, in spite of all the politics. I cannot promise any snow though.
      Have a magic Christmas and a healthy and happy 2019!

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