Alex died eighteen months ago today, 24 June 2013.

There are no words to describe how I feel.

But I am so fortunate to have a  very close family.

How absolutely sad it is for those who are all alone, with no children or grandchildren handy.

I count my blessings everyday.

It’s 5am as I write and I can feel the cold air wanting to push through the glass doors and engulf me.  ah ah.

Sam has both fires roaring so the house is nice and cosy.

I won’t be venturing outside today until it reaches at least two degrees.

We missed the snow which has affected so many during the past few days.

My heart goes out to the poor farmers trying to keep their stock alive or rescue them from huge snow drifts.

I can only imagine the stress they are under trying to keep the animals alive, whether it be rescuing them from snow drifts or basic feeding out.

I  have been affected by weather conditions many times during my twenty-two  years here on the Orchard.

One year when Sam was a toddler and Ruby a baby in the mountain buggy, we had a nasty snow storm.

The  weight of the snow split many branches and threatened many more.

Alex’s job was to knock the snow off the trees and my job was to cut the split branches before they took more of the tree out.

Aunty Belle was in the old orchard vehicle wrapped up in blankets.

I can still see her grinning from ear to ear as it was such an adventure!!!!

Sam had his own stick and and would whack anything in sight. His bright yellow coat enabled me to keep track of him.

A rain cover over the buggy  kept Ruby safe from the snow that would spaspodicaly fall in her direction every now and then.

She smiled and laughed the whole time.

I think Sam posted a photo of  Ruby and I  taken during this time on his blog or his nostalgia photos recently if my memory serves me correctly.

I must find it…