This has easily been the best week of winter weather this year in Naseby, and according to some – the last few years. A decent fall of light, fluffy snow on Sunday and Monday has stuck around for five days now, with the help of a couple of dustings and some low overnight temperatures. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed getting out in much dryer conditions and playing in the sun riding, walking, running, skating and sledding. Pity my local ski buddy is unavailable this week, it’d be great to try to get back on the Ida Range now.

It’s been difficult to take a bad photo this week, such is how beautiful it’s been – so here are far too many of the sights I’ve enjoyed over the last few days.

An hour into the snowfall, the rain that was falling when I left home was beginning to turn to snow. I was surprised it did such a good job and was soon settling.

Finishing a little work to find this.

Wandering home, no sign of the ploughs yet.

Couldn’t sit at home – out the back of the forest on the bike. So much fun, especially getting showered in snow from the weighed-down branches and generally sliding around.

.

Even more around on Monday morning.

I really do appreciate how it sits on the bare branches.

And the washing line.

That’s about the most use my letterbox has been all year – mail doesn’t get delivered to houses here.

Time for a walk.

Scott out clearing the side streets.

Hard work pushing nephew through this, thankfully didn’t take much to get him to sleep.

One of my favourite local houses, probably one of the smallest too.

Three hours of walking in the morning wasn’t enough, time for a run to see more.

Over the Maniototo to the Rock and Pillar Range.

I followed the water race a bit, before ducking off onto mountain bike trails to find some untouched snow.

Getting some elevation, and a lot of snow falling on me as the sun hit the trees.

I was surprised to find how much the pond had risen in the last few weeks with all the rain. It was just beginning to freeze over again on the edge.

With my older nephew at daycare, it was a lot easier to get Adele out to enjoy the idyllic scenes. Pushing the Chariot for an hour in deep snow was my exercise for the morning.

Drip, drip, drip as the roof slowly unloaded itself (it’s still going two days later).

Corrugated and curved snow.

Sunsets haven’t disappointed either.

A little family trip to the pond. With a morning nearing minus ten, there was enough ice to skate – just. See where I put my toe through the ice!

Kakanuis.

Another run to the back of the forest – where I found large patches of still untouched snow. With the frost, it’s so dry now – love scuffing my feet through it while running.