Watching woodpeckers........

Writing this while watching two Greater Spotted Woodpeckers pecking in the tree outside the window. It's beginning to snow again - I'm in the Alps.

Despite heavy rain and 'dubby' weather for the last couple of days we have managed a bit of downhill skiing. Fortunately the rain fell as 10 cms of snow in the mountains and covered the pistes with a nice creamy layer of new but slightly wet snow. Hard work for the old legs!

{Ceillac - fresh snow but low cloud}

We arrived here on Friday night after a long slog down through Britain visiting various relatives on the way. Everything in order in the house we set off to collect our season's ski passes, take a couple of runs (yipee, we can still do it!) and celebrate with a late lunch of coffee and cake.

Sunday was miserable with thick mist and flat light. So Monday we headed off into the new snow for a couple of hours.

And I was wearing my new ski helmet - yes, I know, but it is comfortable and John has been nagging me for a while to get one. Bashing my head, not only on the ground but on various metal objects in and around ski tows, is always a risk, and now I'm not so nimble getting out of the way of others, more and more likely. Last season the major risk was definitely John, wearing his helmet, bumping into me and doing me damage with his head! A risk only narrowly avoided several times. I have long held the belief that humans are magnetic and dangerously attracted to each other, particularly when there are only two around!

{More Ceillac, with a view this time - and John}

We made the most of the empty slopes, though the legs were really tired, but finished just after 3 o'clock.

Now I'm going to try and complete my TGOC route.

I'm at the tweaking stage now!