From Frost to Snow, Will it Ever Go?

Snow At The Deenery

Weather

Let's talk about the weather! It's a very English thing to do isn't it? Mind you, I think it's spread to the rest of the world with all this unusual weather. Jim managed to get out on the Monday before Christmas and, thank goodness, bought supplies and some wood pellets for our boiler. We then couldn't get out for ages.

We tried to go to Galway and had to abort our trip because of the sheets of ice on the main roads. Our pellets were getting low again and the company won't deliver to us because of the state of the roads. So Jim braved it again and it snowed on him. Luckily he managed to get through and buy some more pellets and food and struggled back. Our lane has had a river of ice down it for weeks. It's treacherous.

On Saturday, I decided to go off down the lane and take some photos of the snow. I got half way down and slipped on my bottom. My camera flash now doesn't work! Well, it's Jim's camera actually and he's not best pleased. The snow had covered the ice so I could no longer see where it was. I turned round and headed back home and took some photos around our land.

Oh, did I mention the water has frozen again. It's been a few days now. Erm, also, as a result of the water pressure dropping the boiler no longer works. So I'm sitting in my office with one bar of an electric fire on and my hands are freezing. We are beginning to wonder quite what we have done to offend the 'powers that be'. And to cap it all, we have been without the internet for 2 days, so that's why I haven't been able to post. We had to watch television!

Today we should have been heading off to the UK to visit Jim's children and grandchildren then going up to see Jason, Sam, Jack and Kitty. As it has snowed with intent now, both here and in the UK, we cancelled the trip. We daren't leave the cottage and probably wouldn't be able to get Buster to the kennels anyway. I am supposed to be going to Derbyshire next week to see K, so I hope it's all back to normal by then. Or I shall scream. I stayed in bed until 4pm one day - at least it was warm in there.

Right. Rant over.

I had a laugh on the phone with Noreen, the owner of the kennels. She has no water either, but a neighbour has been delivering some as she needs it for the dogs apart from everything else. When I mentioned our boiler wasn't working she said, 'I may be smelly, but I'm warm!' lol.

I braved the Neighbours

I have been wondering how our neighbours down the road have been managing for food and water. They fell out with us, in spite of my attempts to try and smooth things over, just before Christmas 2008. I have hated the situation and decided to go and see them. We had some peat blocks left over from when Stanley was here, so I took them down to them, as they have a wood burning stove (which we gave them). Sandra seemed pleased to see me and I went in and we had a chat for about 20 minutes. I also saw Pete and he was fine too. I feel better about the situation anyway and if we can just smile and wave as we pass, that will be fine. A good way to start the New Year I thought. They had been without water for a short time too, but friends with 4 x 4s had taken them shopping for food, so basically they're ok.

Arty Stuff

I had a play today with lots of different bits of green material. I cut it into various square and rectangular shapes and bondawebbed it onto a piece of backing. I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do next but it's been fun having a play.

The day I stayed in bed, it snowed hard and Jim went out and took some photos. I'll pop some of them on, or this will be all boring writing! At least the snow looks pretty.


Fennel in the front garden


The contorted willow all snowy

The road out of ours, half way down is where I fell over!


Believe it or not, this is Lough Graney. As it's about 95% iced over, the snow is just sitting on top of the ice. It is supposed to rain tonight but then get cold again. I hope the temperature rises enough to thaw the water.


The mahonia bending under the weight of the snow.

So you remember that in the summer I planted some lobelia in my old trainers? Well, the lobelia has given up the ghost of course. I took this photo of my trainers covered in frost 2 days ago:


Then Jim took this one of them covered in snow!



I must say I think our living willow fence looks spectacular in the snow!

That's it for now. I am so behind with my photos having been off line for so long. Ah well, I'll just have to file them away.

I hope everyone is managing to keep warm.

Sorry I've been grumpy!
xx