FOOTPRINTS IN THE SNOW

 Sunday 6^th April was not just another run at Hall Place. I woke up and looked through my window expecting a little bit of sleet and snow as the weather forecast predicted, but how spectacular to see the white blanket of snow covering my lawn and starting to settle on the rooftops. Now coming from Transvaal and later in my life from Durban (S.A.) which is a very tropical climate we are just not use to seeing snow. It immediately put me in this exuberant frame of mind- awoke the child in me. It looked like a fairytale, so beautiful. Absolutely picture perfect. I had to get the camera out to take photos.  I then text Peter Cane just to make sure the “mad runners” will be out in the snow. Maybe that’s not fair. I should call them dedicated runners- it certainly sounds a lot better. 

We all got out of our cars thinking the same, “We are totally mad” but never the less after a brief photo session we all trotted off into the woods. It was freezing cold and all of us were complaining about cold hands and freezing feet. Fortunately it was so spectacular that the conversation quickly changed to admiration of the beauty of nature and the strange weather pattern we are having. 

By now it was snowing heavily but we were having a great run which soon changed to great fun in the snow. We had the best time throwing snow balls at each other, skiing on the fields and hiding behind trees to trigger snow showers with the branches onto the next runner coming through. The scenery was breathtaking and the “feel good factor” amongst us was very obvious.

The footprints we left in the snow surely melted away, but the prints etched in my memory will stay forever. 

After the run we recovered from the cold in the café with a welcome cup of coffee. But most of all I could feel the warmth and camaraderie of a great bunch of people. Thank you NEJ.

 Marie Jerner. The new Brit on the block!