A White Christmas! And time, once again, to ascend mead mountain. Does doing this more than once make it a ritual or tradition? Whatever it is, the excitement of uncovering a bottle of home-brewed mead, buried at the top of a mountain, really never goes away. This bottle had a full twelve months to mature in its trusted site . . .
. . . and if possible, it tasted even better than last year’s vintage. Slainte!
To add even more fun to the mix, we had brought our fell shoes along with the idea of having a reviving Christmas run in the snow. So I took off my boots and donned my trusty Walshes (thanks once again for the super socks, Viv!) . . .
I can assure you that mead plus fell shoes is quite a heady combination. The feet securely grip the ice; the body glows with the power of delicious home-brewed fuel; one generally feels quite invincible. It was an exhilarating descent.
Phew! After a crazy snowy hurtle, we made our way homeward, stopping off at the allotment to collect the finishing touches for dinner.
It was very satisfying indeed to pull something we’d grown out of the cold ground. And one of my favourite gardening buddies stopped by to say Merry Christmas.
The allotments looked beautiful in the snow.
We are having a lovely holiday, and I hope you are too, however you like to spend it. Thanks so much for being with me throughout December, and particularly for all your comments, which I always appreciate and love to read. Seasonal joy to you, till we meet again in 2010!
merry christmas, kate. loved this post / always love perusing your site.
Ever so welcome…and methinks, the wee something(s) I sent for Christmas might add to the seasonal spirit..(tee hee hee)
Love,
Viv xx
MERRY CHRISTMAS! XxX
Happy Holidays to You!! I love reading your blog!!
Cheers! Looks like a lovely day!
Season’s greetings, what a great tradition! Oh, my mum loves her Dollheid.
Love the rosy cheeks in this pictures and the exhilaration and vibrancy of the snowy walk, counterbalanced by a visit to the plot.
Enjoy your holiday.
Merry Christmas Kate…..from Chicago! I am looking forward to more fun knitting and interesting posts from your surroundings. Blessings….
Joan
That’s such a beautiful snowy Christmas — being a Californian I have never experienced one but I feel I must some day. I did get to harvest some of my own vegetables that would have been long gone if we’d had frost so that’s got to make up for it somewhat. Good luck to you for 2010!
Very merry Christmas to you too Kate. Mead, snow and handknits – I do believe you have discovered a rather perfect recipe for festive joy. Hope you have a lovely time!
What an awesome Christmas adventure. I definitely think it should become a tradition.
You look like you’re having a fabulous time!
Merry Christmas! My day was a lot more sedentary, but I would definitely walk up a mountain for quality mead – and I think there are far worse traditions to develop!
You are such a nut, I love it! Looks like you two had a terrific day. Hope you had an excellent Christmas:)
Merry Christmas to you. I’m so jealous of your fabulous hike. It’s a tradition of ours to go on a woodland ramble on Christmas day, but with a torn ACL, it was not to be this year. But I thoroughly enjoyed your photos. Thanks for sharing!
A warm and wooly 2010!
How delightful, I love your mead tradition.
Happy Holidays! Thanks for a year of beautiful photos and insightful posts!
Happy holidays and thank you for the wonderful advent . Til next year
Came to your blog viavia..viavia..:0 Loved your story and wished I could knit.
Happy to have found your blog.
Have a good 2010.
it was a wonderful journey.
Season’s greetings to you and great to see you both having lots of fun. What is it about snow that brings out the inner child in us? I called my daughter to wish her merry christmas on Christmas morning and she could hardly speak to me, she was so excited – about going sledging! She is 30 years old going on eight!!!
I think my new year’s resolution is to have fun at some point every day – mandatory silliness for 2010.
I heard birdsong today and thought of your blog. Thanks for needled – good on ya and best wishes for 2010!
A very belated Merry Christmas…and, in fact, a slightly belated Happy New Year! Can’t wait to see what you get up to in 2010!
happy new year you lovely mountain lady!
Please take a look at this http://handmadeexchange.wordpress.com/2010/01/02/getting-ready/
& pass it on Thank you xx
i discovered your owls pattern last year – i loved the march of the owls too! – I am finally ready to make the sweater but I wonder if you could give me any hints on how to adapt your sweater for a cardigan like the grey?
i edited out part of my comment above in error – i am interested in making a sweater like the cardigan done by natalie in peterbourgh, ontario, as soon on the parliament of owls last winter – any hints on how I could adapt your pattern – or if you have any contact info from natalie of peterbourgh?
the perfect day out:-)
Alison
Wow! What a fun tradition!