Stormy Weather

[mangerton]

scotty,

Off to work soon for some blue-sky thinking.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

"Why Brits always talk about the weather"

How I detest the word "Brits".

It's one of those irritating Americanisms. However, I suppose we are not too innocent of such terminology ourselves. We often refer to them as "the Yanks", which is an abbreviation of the Southern States' term for their enemy during the American Civil War.

[mangerton]

Still too icy and have been told by family to stay put. Nevertheless, Christmas gets nearer and I've hardly started on pressies and cards. Worrying.

saly, Please don't be offended.... my mother is a few years older than you and is saying this too. My sister and I have tried to impress upon her that her health and safety (dreadful phrase!) are far more important to us than presents, which we know she'll get when she can. I am sure your family feels exactly the same.

[Mahlerei]

Morning Sal & Stormy Weatherites

Not a good idea to go out, as the pavements are very slick. I have done most of my Christmas shopping online adn don't want to go anywhere near the High Street between now and the 25th.

[Uncle Monty]

Good morning [sic], Everyone! Your intrepid reporter in the Mendips has braved the great outdoors.

This is what freezing fog looks like when it solidifies (the trees, I mean, not me and the dogs).

[salymap]

I have several young relatives whothink nothing of problems when buying on line. I'm fine with CDs as I surf the catalogues and buy by phone, which works well. I'vebeen told my computer is not 'safe' but as I have several gubbins for that purpose I don'tknow why. I like seeing what I buy withregardto food and have shops about 2 minutes walk away, WITHOUT THE ICY PAVEMENTS. local coz has just phoned to say "You won't go outfor the Radio Times will you? We will get one to you" I'm Spoilt.

[Flosshilde]

I never go out shopping except for food (and I have most of that delivered). I buy household things, clothes, presents, cards and everything else online. Very useful! Perhaps you could try it, saly.

I like to see what I'm buying, & going out - even to the shops - keeps me in touch with / aware of the fact that I live in a community, among other people, who I recognise (& who recognise me) & can greet, even on a minimal level. Of course, I am still fit & can get about even in this weather - and live in a city with major shops, should I want to visit them. For those who don't have those advantages intenet shopping is a boon.

Anyway, back to the weather, we had about a foot of snow in Glasgow before it stopped yesterday afternoon. Roads blocked, very few buses even today. Lovely & sunny today though.

[Mary Chambers]

local coz has just phoned to say "You won't go outfor the Radio Times will you? We will get one to you"

I have a subscrption to the Radio Times and it arrives by post!

I agree it's best to see what food you're buying, with perishables anyway.

[salymap]

Ah Mary but local papershop love small change so I can pay for my RT in coppers which are no good in a supermarket. They trust me to count £1.20 correctly and I just hand loose change over.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I think more than 20p in coppers ceases to be legal tender. I suppose that's to stop people paying Council Tax in truckloads of pennies.

[sigolene euphemia]

Uncle Monty,

Ahh this picture is wonderful, you and your canine friends ! Looks like a near ice storm on the twigs. And this brought back the wonders of a Christmas we spent five years back in North Western British Columbia at a friends hobbit house. Tucked back in on about 150 acres this house was built by them with "no plans". You stoop way down to enter into a house oozing with warmth from the wood heat and charm of a single tree carved into stairs to ascend to the upper level. We cooked on a wood fire stoved, AWESOME ! Chopped kindling about five each morning over on the massive rock they were unable to blast out; so it remained. We hauled fresh water from a pond by ski-do. The bivy is a marvel of art, and a twosome bivy with 2" foam for instant warmth - 24 panels of glass to look out over the valley and art. And we were always escorted here by their Great Pyrenees. Fantastic art hanging. But most memorable is the three days of brilliant hoar frost. The sun made it all seem if we were in a winter wonderland of Swarovski.

And what are the names of your animal friends ?

warmly,
Sigolene

nb - they are a musical family - the piano was lifted in by helicopter before the sod roof went on ... ...

[Panjandrum]

Freezing fog here in the Mendips today. We were feeling smug yesterday, as we had brilliant sunshine, while the rest of the county down in the Levels was cloaked in thick, freezing murk. Here is a picture taken from a nearby hill-top, looking south. It hasn't come out as well as I hoped, but the upper third is all fog, with just Glastonbury Tor sticking spookily up from it on the right. And now we've got it too

Uncle Monty, it looks to me as if that picture was taken up by Maesbury Castle, or somewhere above Dinder.

Highly atmospheric: I expect to see Excalibur rising through the mist!

[Uncle Monty]

Thank you, Sigolene. It is certainly picturesque out here -- but ********* cold! I don't like this at all. I shiver uncontrollably even in high summer when emerging from a pool, so this weather is certainly not to my liking. I had an orchestral rehearsal on Saturday in an unheated church (well, the heating finally did get its act together, but not before we poor players slipped into hypothermia) and have decided not to go out again till May

The girls are Chocolate Labradors called Moll and Kizzy. Oh for the sort of square Black Labrador that trots alongside you without need of a lead. These two are insane, with suicidal tendencies. Apparently all Choccies are like this, but no one saw fit to tell us beforehand

[Uncle Monty]

Uncle Monty, it looks to me as if that picture was taken up by Maesbury Castle, or somewhere above Dinder.

Highly atmospheric: I expect to see Excalibur rising through the mist!

Absolutely correct, Panjandrum, spot-on! It was Maesbury. Do you know the area well? We're pretty new to it.

[sigolene euphemia]

Uncle Monty,

Choccies, well maybe labs in general as in the book my child insisted I read, "Marly and Me" John Grogan. She babysits at a family who has a black lab and he is a goof. They recently added a 147lb rescue dog to their family and their two year old pushes the two biggies out of the way as he gets on all fours and slurps water for himself out of the water bowl !

We so delight in this that we have a photo of the toddler doing just this upon the breakfast table as it gives us an instant giggle !

Sigolene