iced in!

[crowsashes]

well im now iced in as the steps leading up to my house are almost impossible to navigate ( i almost slipped bringing the wheelie bin in) and the path up the hill is just as bad!

the daft council decided to repair the communal steps ( i share them with my neighbor) so they were out of action for 24 hours as the cement needed to dry ever tried to carry a wheelie bin down at least 20 steps avoiding the wet cement used to patch up a dodgy staircase AND the ice

any whos im now pretty much stuck here untill i can A) find my big bag of rock salt or B) it thaws!
so im sat knitting pair of slippers ( knitted tops, felt inner and denim soles) as its so darn cold and i can only find one of my old ones!

loved the snow earlier, tried to get some pictures but i wasted nearly a whole role of film and the batteries in my camera drained in record time!

at least i remembered to pick up some milk!

[Flo]

It's been like that since 17th December up here. Being used to such things, I always keep table salt on the shelf for the steps in my yard so that I can get to the road to the bus stop. There was a sudden thaw one day last week and nearly all went away.

Then it all went downhill again. First thing New Year's Day we found between four and six inches covering the world here. It's been walked on and will take weeks to clear if there is ever a thaw. My front steps up to the street are a real menance.

It was an interesting day on New Year's Day getting a way out of the yard - and no that's not me completing the clearing, I was making the tea as she'd walked 2.5 miles to see that mother was OK and was going to walk the same home again. But if you like Christmas card living, I've got the views.

[crowsashes]

have found my big bag of salt too damn cold to go out though! typical!

[Flo]

Dustmen iced off so no bin collections; postmen iced out as pavements dangerous. Buses running sort of; schools closed; deliveries zilch due to roads.

Thaw? Not this week or next from the looks of it. So no idea when normal returns.

[Annpan]

We have had a foot of snow for almost 3 weeks now (well it has condensed to 8 inches or so today - it isn't melting it is just compacting) but I am well and truly fed up with it.

I feel sorry for the poor chooks standing in snow all day long... though they seem to be well enough, still laying. Cat hasn't been out for 3 weeks, as the snow is higher than her.

We are half way through demolition of part of our house, but haven't seen the builders in 3 weeks either.... no way of getting any work done, we even have a digger snowed in half way up the garden. We have no insulation and our storage heater is bust. It has taken 2 hours to get the woodburner going this morning as all the wood in the wood shed was covered in ice and snow.

Our road is clear though, otherwise the supermarkets wouldn't be getting their milk.... something to be said for living in a part of the countryside which is working all year round.

I would like a thaw now please, if only to see what colour grass is.

[Helsbells]

About 5 inches of snow here in Reading, and its still snowing! I am sooo glad and excited because as a teacher I am getting the day off!! I feel for people who have ahd it for ages, I know I was sick of it when it snowed over the christmas holidays.
Unfortunately Virgin were supposed to come today to connect our phone line and they have cancelled, I wonder if Riverford will make it tomorrow with our veg?!
I have so far made a batch of cranberry mussinfs, started a loaf of bread and spent about an hour on the dance mat!! Wooooo!

[crowsashes]

well there goes that hope!

woke up to find 4 inches of snow had fell overnight ( well since i shut the curtains last night about 4.30!) the bin men have stopped. the buses stopped, the postmen stopped. the trains are barely running, the schools are all closed and my mate was daft enough to try and drive to take my sister to hospital and the car just well slid and is now sat half way up a hill looking rather sorry for its self but could possibly slip even further into the house at the bottom of the hill why do people take such daft risks in this weather?

im still iced in though if it gets any worse ill have to get the shovel out then lay a load of salt grit and what ever else i can find down!

[Stonehead]

Well, the shallowest snow I can find on the croft is 23 inches/58cm deep. In the worst places, it's up to my armpits. I know because I have to cut paths through the stuff.

It's hard work but not yet extreme. The farmer across the road has 1960s photos of snow up to the eaves of our house (12ft) and of a Fergie tractor being driven through an arch cut in snow covering the road.

I've popped a few photos on my blog: http://stonehead.wordpress.com/ Too many to post here.

[pumpy]

Because of ankle ulcers, i can only wear my old canvass gardening shoes, so i don't think i'll be going far in 8" of the white stuff!!

[Green Aura]

We seem to have fared better than most of the rest of Britain, only a couple of inches and we can get to the village without difficulty.

The problem we do have though is that all roads out of Durness have been blocked on and off for days. So the Spar's running a bit short, we've only had one postal delivery since New Year and my usually full pantry is starting to look a little bare.

Looks like we'll need an air drop if it carries on much longer

[Green Aura]

The post arrived today!!!

[Stonehead]

The post arrived today!!!

As did ours: a credit card bill and seven pieces of junk mail.

[indy]

Have never been so glad to be an ishy person, I haven't run out of anything yet..oh and people used to laugh at me for filling the freezer, pantry and store room I have even turned my fridge off, my porch is colder than the fridge so its all gone out there instead of me paying for electric... am wondering if thats really tight

[gdb]

Aww... sorry to hear some of you are struggling and fed-up with it!

Never mind, it shouldn't be there for too much longer.

As for me. I love it. And I'm not expecting to see the back of it for another 2 months...!!!!

[Millymollymandy]

Seems quite balmy here with only a few inches of snow. Have to go to Rennes today 30 kms away which might be interesting.

Anyway having seen the temps for the West Country and a week or so back having asked my mum "Mum, that Hebe you gave me, does it resprout from the roots because all the top growth is just frosted pulp?" to which the response was "no dear, I don't think so, it doesn't do that here". I should think her Hebe is double pulp now!

I wonder if anyone has any PSB still alive as mine are nearly all just pulp now too and you lot in the UK are having far colder weather than we are!