February

This chapter describes snow in the east country in February. In the beginning, static air from cold Arctic collided with a wet west front. Snowflakes fell heavily, resulting to eight inches of snow by morning. In the village, small children hauled sledges; others shoveled drives. Next morning, twice the car was ice-stranded; all puddles were frozen. Whole fields of winter wheat were yellowed by frost. Meanwhile, in Boxford high street, most shop fronts became private houses and people stayed inside. In the valley, there was a relentless wall of cold northwesterly wind. The chapter also recounts a gathering at Snape Maltings for Place: Taking the Waters, which was an exploration of the warp of water and the coast's liminal zones.