Midwinter Solstice and snow
For Midwinter morning, my new friends from the morris dancing team got up at 7.30am to see the dawn in at Castle Hill near Huddersfield. Terry picked me up and took me to Ang's house, where Pip and Paul were too, and we all jumped in his car and went to Castle Hill. It was windy up there, and a little cloudy, but it was not snowing or raining.
A few other Magpies arrived and some friends too - we had runes drawn on our faces in black, and I wore my silly new winter hat - a white hat with antlers on it. I had no black clothes or tatters, and had to borrow some. I missed getting the chance to dance Cuckoos nest, but danced Sir John very badly and not from a side that I was used to. During all those dances, we were under threat of being blown away by the wind, it was that strong. Tatters flew everywhere, and hats almost rolled away. When the sun came up, it looked light the Eye of Sauron, and we cheered. After that, we had some food and did a small ritual by the shelter of the Tower. I was a quarter caller, and we even had a small cauldron where we had a fire in. It was lovely to do.
Our car load of people were the last to leave because Terry and Ang were cleaning out the burnt wood from the cauldron. We then drove to Birkenshaw where Terry and Helen live. We then ate a spot of breakfast before we headed home. It seemed that half the day had been spent on eating breakfast after a dawn service. Ang drove us home in Terry's car and we saw some strange clouds in the sky that morning.
On Sunday the 18th of Dec, it snowed really nicely. The morning was sunny and crisp and I had the chance to go out and walk in this snow - the most snow I have seen and walked in since 1987, back in Australia. Here are pics I got from that day.
A few other Magpies arrived and some friends too - we had runes drawn on our faces in black, and I wore my silly new winter hat - a white hat with antlers on it. I had no black clothes or tatters, and had to borrow some. I missed getting the chance to dance Cuckoos nest, but danced Sir John very badly and not from a side that I was used to. During all those dances, we were under threat of being blown away by the wind, it was that strong. Tatters flew everywhere, and hats almost rolled away. When the sun came up, it looked light the Eye of Sauron, and we cheered. After that, we had some food and did a small ritual by the shelter of the Tower. I was a quarter caller, and we even had a small cauldron where we had a fire in. It was lovely to do.
Our car load of people were the last to leave because Terry and Ang were cleaning out the burnt wood from the cauldron. We then drove to Birkenshaw where Terry and Helen live. We then ate a spot of breakfast before we headed home. It seemed that half the day had been spent on eating breakfast after a dawn service. Ang drove us home in Terry's car and we saw some strange clouds in the sky that morning.
On Sunday the 18th of Dec, it snowed really nicely. The morning was sunny and crisp and I had the chance to go out and walk in this snow - the most snow I have seen and walked in since 1987, back in Australia. Here are pics I got from that day.