Weather March 2010

[Anthony Darby]

We're supposed to get 50cm over night tonight!

[Lesley Cox]

I got up this morning, turned on the shower.....NOTHING!!! We are out of water except for the bit in the hot water cylinder and I can use that, having turned off the water heating until it is replaced. Phoned the water man and he hopes to be here before Easter ( ) lots of people in the same boat (not afloat though) as we are. Roger is bringing a couple of 20 litre jars from town and there was enough in the kettle from last night for coffee. I HATE being so dependant on rain, when we aren't having any. We can flush the loo from a plastic tank which we keep topped up when there's more rain than we want - rarely - but it is greenish, so not for drinking/cooking/washing.

[Anthony Darby]

We had a power cut for an hour this evening. I had just lit the gas cooker for tea (no, not the drink, the evening meal) using a match when the power came back on. Fortunately I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of power cuts we have had this century!

[angie]

Our lights keep flickering, hope we dont get a power cut but just in-case I have a roaring fire going, at least I will be cosy.
Angie

[Anthony Darby]

1986 was the last time I lived in a house with a coal fire. I really miss it. These days it's combi boilers, thermostatic controlled radiators, double glazing and 10" thickness of loft insulation!

[daveyp1970]

Maggie and David thank you for your kind comments they make rainy days all the much better

[angie]

1986 was the last time I lived in a house with a coal fire. I really miss it. These days it's combi boilers, thermostatic controlled radiators, double glazing and 10" thickness of loft insulation!

This is our third house that we have built and everytime I have said a fire is a must. I just love when its snowy or blowing a gale outside I pile the logs on and no matter how cold it is out there it is cosy in my home and of course  my husband built the house so he has cram packed it with insulation.
I also a forrest feet from my back door so there is always plenty of logs going spare, saves me using to much oil
Angie

[Anthony Darby]

Cool.

[Ragged Robin]

I got up this morning, turned on the shower.....NOTHING!!! We are out of water except for the bit in the hot water cylinder and I can use that, having turned off the water heating until it is replaced. Phoned the water man and he hopes to be here before Easter ( ) lots of people in the same boat (not afloat though) as we are. Roger is bringing a couple of 20 litre jars from town and there was enough in the kettle from last night for coffee. I HATE being so dependant on rain, when we aren't having any. We can flush the loo from a plastic tank which we keep topped up when there's more rain than we want - rarely - but it is greenish, so not for drinking/cooking/washing.

Lesley, so sorry to hear you are waterless, it's an awful thing to be especially when you only have enough for a cup of coffee in the kettle......do you have those big round water tanks or is your water supply from a spring/well?  Of course the good things about having your own water (when you do) is that no chemicals are added and it hasn't been recycled a 1000 times.  Hope everything is sorted out soon there has been some really strange weather everywhere recently and no more so than in Scotland with more snow and winter storms in the first days of Spring.

[mark smyth]

Our lights flickered and SKY kept going off after dark. The nearest town 5 miles away has no electricty. Horizontal snow most of yesterday but it didnt lie here but heavy snow seen to be localised especially in the west of N Ireland. Very cold just now 4c. Only recently we had a month without rain and temps up to 14. brrrrr

[Lesley Cox]

Robin, our water supply is what comes from the sky - and nothing else. We save the water from the house and garage roofs and also from Roger's big shed which is almost 100sq metres, so there's plenty for the house but of course with garden and small nursery as well..... We have to buy water about 2 years out of three.

The tanker came yesterday afternoon, so not a long wait and our big tank now has 20,000 litres, about 2/3ds full. Ironically, it is raining a little this morning, but just enough to wet the footpath and the clouds are going already.

[Paddy Tobin]

Lesley,

Is it not possible to drill a well?

Paddy

[Lesley Cox]

Paddy, we and many others in the general area do have natural springs on our properties but are not permitted to tap them because the water table overall is getting lower and lower yearly as climate change on the east coast of NZ kicks in and we become more and more drought-prone. We're on a high hill but even on the Taieri Plain below us, water bores may no longer be sunk for the same reason. The only use our spring has is as a disgusting muddy patch which Cain, our English springer spaniel makes for as soon as he's out the door of either house or car. He ADORES the cool, sloppy mud and has to be hosed down which he also loves but I resent the water used to do it! For the same reason I very rarely clean either car or outside windows.

[angie]

Lesley ... I rarely wash my car or my windows, do you think Lesley I could use the excuse that I am trying to save water. My excuse for not cleaning my windows is that if they aren't to clean the birds don't fly into them the same.
I cant imagine buying in water is it expensive to buy.
Angie

[Lesley Cox]

Feel free to use my excuse Angie. The water itself is not very expensive but the cartage makes it so.
We have been reported to the local council on a couple of occasions when there have been "no hosing" restrictions, because I have been happily watering. Had a bit of a smirk when I was able to show it was rain water I was using, not the metered supply offered by Dunedin city Council.