06/01: I'VE CHANGED MY MIND!!

I no longer want snow .... send it away pleeeeeease!!! We should be flying to our house on Fuerteventura (Canaries) today but the runway at Gatwick has been shut since last night because of heavy snowfall. The snow at home in Whitstable has stopped now but more is forecast for this afternoon and evening.

Gatwick's website advises all travellers to check with their respective airlines re. flight delays/cancellations etc. Great!! Our airline, Viking, has an answerphone system. I've left two messages now and nobody has returned my calls ... so do we set out and brave the snowy roads on the offchance our flight will take off as scheduled? We should be flying at 1645 hours so there's a chance the runway may be cleared by then but of course we don't know if the plane will have arrived on its inwards journey.

To rub salt in the wounds - I'm listening to HOTFM.CANARY radio station on my computer - its the local radio station in Corralejo and we know all the DJs as friends. Although they had a rain shower this morning, they have just announced the news and weather and local temperatures are still 24degrees warmer in Corralejo than in Kent ... can't wait to see the sun again.

This is going to be a working holiday (albeit in the sun). We plan to paint all the downstairs rooms in the house and I am taking my graphite pencils with me to work on a double 'people' portrait. It is too complicated to take pastels or coloured pencils with me so my coloured commissions will be priority when I get home. Next up are two beautiful spaniels (separate portraits), a young boy and a grey horse. I'm still awaiting contact from the recipients of two gift vouchers so I shall be busy through February/March. I really hope to find time to work on a coloured pencil piece for entry to this year's UK Coloured Pencil Society's exhibition in the Spring.

Anyway .... assuming we do fly off sometime in the next day or so, I won't be posting much on my blog whilst away as internet access is limited. but I'll be back :o)