Uncomfortably numb

It's good that we're getting a few frosts this winter, though the lack of snow continues to disappoint. I realise that for many an absence of the fluffy white stuff is a bit of a relief, but now that we both work locally and don't have to drive, I'm a little bit selfish and wishing for a good snow dump so that the small child can experience snowmen, snowballs, snow angels and getting *very* cold and wet. I did accidentally mistype 'snowballs' as snowbaals a moment ago - that would be rather more interesting, what with Baal being one of the seven princes of hell.

Gardening in the cold weather, though, isn't something I'm keen on but it has to be done if I'm not to be horrendously behind come March. Gardening rules state that you shouldn't walk on a frosted lawn, as the grass blades will be damaged. However, I suspect that gardening rules might also suggest that lawns probably turn out better if not run around on playing cops and robbers, do better if not poked with interesting sticks, and retain a better sward if not turned into a muddy puddle to re-enact scenes from Peppa Pig.

Needs also must when it comes to cutting back vegetation when a frost is expected. It makes sense that an open wound is more sensitive to frost damage and that I might be distressing the plant somewhat by hacking bits off whilst it's bitterly cold. However, needs must, and if I find I have 30 minutes in the bitter cold to chop back some overgrown vegetation in order to keep on top of things, then I'm afraid that both the plant and I will have to become uncomfortably numb together.