Weather winter 2010/2011

[johnw]

A report from a Canadian flying home for Christmas this morning.  Her flight from Edinburgh took off on Saturday knowing full well Heathrow was to shut down.  In London they spent 6 hours on the tarmack and were then ushered into Terminal 3.  While they tried to turn the heat on (!) they were given blankets.  At 3 a.m. they were awoken and ordered out of the building.  The next morning they were called to return to T3 for the the flight home. They went through security and then were told to collect their luggage and return only when and if the flight was re-scheduled! This evening she was interviewed again and can't for the life of her figure out why the planes are not moving - no winter weather that is apparent.

Surprisingly she didn't seem half as irate as 100,000 Nova Scotian lobsters awaiting flights in Halifax for a brief European sojourn.

johnw

[Bev Olson]

Thanks Cliff.

[Hoy]

Stroud, where I live and garden, is built on the slopes of five deep converging valleys. So loads and loads and loads of steep hills. It's not a good place to have lots of snow and ice. Plenty of sliding going on the last few days - people, cars, lorries, even four wheel drives seen slowly slithering sideways down slippery slopes. Where are the gritters?!

I can recommend these:
 

I always have a pair in my car! Then driving on ice, snow whatever - no problem!

[ranunculus]

Thanks Cliff.

For what, may I ask, Bev?  Though your thanks are much appreciated!

[David Nicholson]

........Surprisingly she didn't seem half as irate as 100,000 Nova Scotian lobsters awaiting flights in Halifax for a brief European sojourn.

johnw

I'll get this one in before The Bookeroo. Is that what is known as a pincer mnovement John?

[Bev Olson]

Surprisingly she didn't seem half as irate as 100,000 Nova Scotian lobsters awaiting flights in Halifax for a brief European sojourn.
johnw

I'd love to hear more of this part of the story.
I know a crayfish courier in Martinborough near Wellington (New Zealand).
He says they keep them cold and asleep on their way to Japan froom NZ so I suppose if they were parked some where they might have woken up???

For what, may I ask, Bev?  Though your thanks are much appreciated!

- a slip of the mouse Cliff, I meant to acknowedge John's story.
But thanks anyway, I enjoy your posts too 

[Hoy]

All this crayfishy talk reminds me of what happened at some friend's house.
Their son, a keen freshwater crayfish fisher (or what do you call them?) had got 300 of the kind and while trying to sell them (they are very expensive here and often bought by the best restaurants) stored all in a small dish in his mother's bathroom. Later that day when she came home she found crayfish everywhere, even in the sleepingroom (fortunately, they hadn't managed to get into the bed). Many days later they still found living crayfish down in the basement in a cool corner! Though he earned a lot of money and continued the business.

[Maren]

Hi Trond,

I understand the snow chain on the right tyre. But what's with the left one? is that just a covering you take off before you reveal the snow chain?

[Hoy]

Hi Trond,

I understand the snow chain on the right tyre. But what's with the left one? is that just a covering you take off before you reveal the snow chain?

Hello Maren!

On the left one is snow socks, yes, that's right! They are very easy to fasten and you can drive safely in heavy snow and on slippery snow/ice but not on tarmac for a long time. And they don't occupy much space when not in use.
http://www.dinside.no/97067/kom-deg-frem-med-snosokker

[Anthony Darby]

Not really practical for us as it is only the roads close to home that are packed ice. The main roads are black.

[Maggi Young]

All this crayfishy talk........

All this crayfishy talk makes me HUNGRY!

[Hoy]

Not really practical for us as it is only the roads close to home that are packed ice. The main roads are black.

Oh yes! It takes 5 minutes to fasten and 5 min to remove and you avoid an off-road trip!

[jomowi]

Snow on the greenhouse roof:  I have an excellent tool for getting snow off the greenhouse roof.  It is a lightweight plastic rake intended for raking up  autumn leaves.  It is about 60cm wide, arc shaped, and the tines are about 1cm wide with a slightly wider gap between them. I also discovered it is good for reducing the depth of virgin snow from paths by raking the snow to the side. It then makes it much easier to finish off with a snow board or shover rather than trying to push the whole weight of snow in front of you.  The rake is also excellent when used for the purpose it was designed for.

[mark smyth]

-13 here in my garden last night and right now it's -8.5. The river in the town is frozen over the top.

[art600]

With the snow last night, and even more threatened, I am glad I do not live in Germany where I believe it is a legal requirement that the pavement outside your house must be cleared of snow by 6.00am.

Come to think of it - I do not have a pavement - phew.