diamond dust on dartmoor

Today was cold, windy and DRY. So as I had a whole 2.5 hours to myself this afternoon.... I went up to the north western flank of Cosdon Beacon. Boy was it windy, and bitterly cold out of the sun. There was diamond dust ( ice crystals) in the air and they stung as they whipped into my face. Found a few good hidey spots for a walk I'm planning and checked my own boxes.

Well done on a first to find Woodstock Wonderers.
I'm a tad sceptical about the 4am claim made by S&D but I see them in the pub so can challenge that, it MIGHT be true. D does claim he used to like boxing at night.
Saltash Stampers- I must have only just missed you, maybe you werre the people I cycled past on Prospect lane ( yes, I was the loon on a touring bike going up the very steep track to the moorgate) or maybe you were the people with trekking poles I saw poking under some rocks as I headed towards the Ford lane moorgate.

What a nice afternoon. Must do it again . I love living here.

Did it again yesterday- not so much diamond dust this time, more snow.
I was on the other side of the Beacon ( facing east ) in sunshine, topped out as teh cloud came over and had just started down teh west face ( towards taw marsh) when the snow came down - hard and cold, more snow pellets than flakes. SO I decided it was too cold to keep getting my hands out of gloves and too wet to want a note book exposed and turned tail and made my home by the bridleway route.

Thank you to the owners of two boxes I did find,( an ancient occupations and a policing around dartmoor) I have moved my planned box away from those rocks now. 3 boxes in 3 meters would have been a bit too much of a hot spot.

The trouble is as you say, when its really cold letterboxing becomes really difficult, hanging around filling in your card or book makes you feel worse, then throw in the rain, sleet or snow, next minute your precious stamp you are just putting on starts to run and the paper gets wet and useless. Some folk use umbrellas in these circumstances, and we do carry one, but sods law means that when you get it out to use, the wind is howling and it blows inside out, you just can't win. Pity you didn't put your letterbox near the other two,we just love hotspots, although it does mean more opportunity for the LBT to strike.
But no matter what the weather letterboxing is fun, and we are hooked.