December 20: "Hampstead Heath in the snow" (from mrspencil)
I got distracted and read the entire Wikipedia page for Hampstead Heath (surprisingly interesting read), so the specifics here are partly accurate and partly conjecture.
Holmes and I had gone for a rather long walk that day, passing through Regent's Park, crossing Haverstock Hill, and making our way eventually to Hampstead Heath. We had walked some of the way in companionable silence, and passed some of the time in making deductions about the passersby (Holmes) and dissolving into laughter at some of the results (both of us, though probably me more so).
There had been a good deal of snow, perhaps eight inches built up in the gardens and parks, but none had fallen in the past week and it had warmed up somewhat today, so that the streets and lanes were clear. The Heath was particularly beautiful today, and I reflected how glad I was that Sir Thomas of our parents' generation had not succeeded in leasing out and building upon the land and it was now protected by the city, for the natural beauty was something to behold: ice glittering in the branches of trees, and snow-covered hills in all directions. Children laughed and dogs barked and it was altogether a cheerful place.
My reverie was broken by a blow that landed on my lower back. I whirled around to see a small lad giggling and running away as fast as he could. I knew in an instant it was Eddie, one of our Irregulars.
Holmes broke into a laugh as I stooped to scoop up a little snowball of my own and hurled it after the lad, hitting him square in the back.
"Oi! That's a challenge, then!" the lad cried.
In the space of five minutes, the teams had been selected, and Holmes and Eddie and four other boys faced off against myself, Wiggins, three lads, and a very determined sister of one of the boys, named Edith. The lines were drawn, and the battle commenced.
It was a wet affair, with the snow melting the way that it was, but there was plenty of ammunition. It would be a long walk home, but I would not miss this for the world.