I woke up to yet another blizzard, people. The snow did not stop falling till after lunch and believe me, there was a lot of snow out there. Apparently there was a great deal of fun to be had in the village centre as cars tried to get up the hills, and people had to help push cars out of the middle of the road.
We have no snow plows. (Plough? Ploughs? The dictionary says ploughs is British?? Whatever. It means the same.) They appear to be kept only for motorways. So the snow falls on untreated roads, and stays there. Once it has been driven on, it turns to ice, and then more snow falls on that and ditto. Result? Ice. No winter tyres, and no chains. That means you go nowhere. Maybe I should get a snow plow. Or snow mobile. And to make matters worse, the county is running out of salt and grit so even the major roads will be a disaster if they can't find more.
I have great friends. I had a good number of calls this morning asking if I had everything I needed, and offers to do any shopping. Then Louise barrelled through the door after an abortive attempt to go to the station. She abandoned her car on the main road after needing assistance twice when she got stuck on the treacherous roads. So I gave her the poncho blanket and a recession heater, and made hot coffee. Then Julia arrived too, so she got a blanket and recession heater, and coffee, and this is turning into the most boring post in the history of blogging. Tough.
We had a great time warming up and chatting, and then I walked with Julia to her home, and on to have coffee with friends. I needed to get out and move about. Everyone you meet suddenly has time to strike up a conversation. There don't seem to be any strangers any more. People greet each other and smile. It makes such a difference now that we have all had to slow down. I wish it could stay this way.
I have to say that the thing which I noticed so starkly this morning was the silence. I opened the front door, and there was just silence. No sound of traffic and engines. Just silence, as the snow swirled about.
And that was my day. I have been interviewed by Isabelle and will answer her questions tomorrow. There are also other things I want to do posts on, and Crystal, I have not forgotten that I still have your questions to answer too! My brain has just been befuddled by all the snow for the past few days. You may not wish to know that there is apparently more on the way.
Normal service will resume tomorrow. Maybe.
I've missed your blogs the past few days and when I read your post for today I kept asking, "what are recession heaters?" I went back to catch up on your posts. I just laughed when I saw the one on the recession heaters. They are wonderful! I made one while I was working because I would freeze. I just took my rice bag to the snack shop, pop it into the microwave and I had instant heat. Love your blog. When we have snow here in the Atlanta, Georgia area it stops everything! Our Pastor of Evangelism has been in England the past week for a wedding (he and his family are from Brighton). We can't wait to talk to them about all the snow in England. LOL!
ReplyDeleteMy girls and their friends just looked at your photos and were green with envy. We are battling out (hopefully) the last 40+ today - and then they promised us mid 20's for a week.
ReplyDeleteI can honestly say that when I look at your pictures I feel a little bit more comfortable.
Sounds good being able to catch up with friends for coffee.
I like the silence and the blankets of white before they are marked up. And the slower pace of things - and the change of routine! I don't like the accompanying cold!
ReplyDeleteNo panic on the questions - I have an award to acknowledge too. I must remember to do that this weekend. Stay warm - and be careful on the ice!
Wow, this is amazing. I can't believe I haven't heard a word from Manchester - maybe they aren't getting it. It's just amazing!
ReplyDeleteI love the sound of silence after a snow. Wish it would last longer.
Glad that you have found the silver lining in it all beyond just the beauty of it. I do hope that everything warms up soon and melts that snow and ice quickly. Otherwise, you sound as if you're all in a pickle.
ReplyDeleteIf you promise not to lay me low, I'll tell you it was 68 degrees F here today.
ReplyDeleteSpring IS coming, my friend. Hang on!
Linds,
ReplyDeleteYour weather has made headlines all over the world; they call it the snowiest year ever. Take pictures, write stories and keep the information in a safe place for your grandchildren to retrieve and treasure in the future.
We are having the warmest and driest winter yet. Usually this is our rainy season, weeks and weeks of liquid stuff, and snow in the mountains. Out fish cannot return to spawn in our streams unless the mouth of the river is open and there is enough water flowing to allow the trip upstream throughtout.
Hey, you made it on our local news! lol Last night on the 6 p.m. news they were showing film footage of the parts of England that were getting so much snow, your area included. They were showing abandoned cars and such, also saying there weren't enough plows to go around. Goodness, you all sure won't forget this Winter in a hurry! Stay safe and warm, my friend. xoxo
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