Prepping for winter

So since all trees were overnight without leaves, I started longing for winter.  I was done with rain and wind and ...

We drove up to the Ardennes while there was snow in the air and people were building Christmas cribs in the center of the town. Great! And all stores are all of a sudden full of Christmas decoration...although they are mistaken according to Kabouter:  First Sinterklaas needs to come. Of course he's right.

We searched some child garden tools as the children wanted to help to clean the leaves but there were only child snow shovels for sale anymore.  The garden stores in the Ardennes are clearly no longer in autumn mood but have prepared themselves for winter.  The boys each got a child shovel and they promised us to clear all the snow this winter. Yeaaay for that ;). I am so looking forward putting my lazy legs up in the sofa this winter while they clear our long driveway :D.

We did clean up all the leaves in the afternoon after which Jan and the boys made brownies and we had a indoor grill in the evening...

It was a very cosy cocooning day and it felt only appropriate that the first snow came down outside that evening. Our first snow for this winter (not the first snow...we missed a first white layer 2 weeks ago).  Jan tried to celebrated with a well launched snowball that Beertje couldn't appreciate at all. Unexpected unknown cold wet stuff is NOT funny.

Overnight there was slightly less snow than anticipated in the meteo (and it melted before noon). Nevertheless I was happy to be there with Jan's car with winter tires. As our neighbour correctly stated: as of November you should only come here anymore with winter tires.  Unlike the rest of Belgium, winter takes 2 extra months here above 500m.

After leaving some food for the birds, we returned to the green world again, where the boys went to help to clean-up the leaves in the big school garden with other parents and children.  From winter back to autumn :). I enjoyed this first taste of winter.