Stormy Weather

[BBMmk2]

So that's you home with your feet up until mid-January then! Or do you have any Carol concerts where you're playing?
It was so cold and frosty this morning, I normally go out first thing but at -1.8 and with the frost and ice sparkling in the sunshine I left it until later, lovely and sunny, no wind, but frost still not melted in the shadows. Sally Army playing under the Christmas tree, that always gives everyone a good Yuletide glow. Supermarkets beginning to heave, so I shall avoid them from now on as I've got the essentials - Lebkuchen, Pfeffer-Nusse and Panettone!!

Huh!! Anna!! How could you say such a thing!! :) I be working through the holidays!! We go back on 5th January!! :)

[Serial_Apologist]

So that's you home with your feet up until mid-January then! Or do you have any Carol concerts where you're playing?
It was so cold and frosty this morning, I normally go out first thing but at -1.8 and with the frost and ice sparkling in the sunshine I left it until later, lovely and sunny, no wind, but frost still not melted in the shadows. Sally Army playing under the Christmas tree, that always gives everyone a good Yuletide glow. Supermarkets beginning to heave, so I shall avoid them from now on as I've got the essentials - Lebkuchen, Pfeffer-Nusse and Panettone!!

The thing to do about crowded shops leading up to Xmas, I find, is to hoard as much as one's frozen compartment can take. In my case this amounts to about a fortnight's worth of perishables. That way, each time I go to the supermarket, by limiting my purchases to five essentials I can queue up at the tobacco counter, and thus wait only ten minutes among the flippin' lottery ticket purchasers and newspaper bill settlers, instead of half an hour in a line of uptight mums with trollies up to the ceiling and toddlers repeatedly demanding to know when they will be going home.

[Anna]

The thing to do about crowded shops leading up to Xmas, I find, is to hoard as much as one's frozen compartment can take. In my case this amounts to about a fortnight's worth of perishables. That way, each time I go to the supermarket, by limiting my purchases to five essentials I can queue up at the tobacco counter, and thus wait only ten minutes among the flippin' lottery ticket purchasers and newspaper bill settlers, instead of half an hour in a line of uptight mums with trollies up to the ceiling and toddlers repeatedly demanding to know when they will be going home.

It depends how reliant you are on frozen food, but I reckon if I'm stocked with household stuff (like w/up liquid, etc.,) and non-perishables (tins, packets, etc.,) then there's no need for a supermarket for a few weeks as you can just use the greengrocer (ours also sells milk, eggs, butter, pasta,), the butcher (also eggs), the baker and the candlestick maker for everything you need - the post office is also useful for odds and ends.

Ontopic, after a lovely sunny day although the frost in the shade of the trees still hasn't gone, it's dropped to 1.2 now and unfortunately the clear skies we were promised have clouded up. I've been creative and made a wreath for the front door and the tree is lit up and looking lovely.

[Serial_Apologist]

It depends how reliant you are on frozen food, but I reckon if I'm stocked with household stuff (like w/up liquid, etc.,) and non-perishables (tins, packets, etc.,) then there's no need for a supermarket for a few weeks as you can just use the greengrocer (ours also sells milk, eggs, butter, pasta,), the butcher (also eggs), the baker and the candlestick maker for everything you need - the post office is also useful for odds and ends.

Ontopic, after a lovely sunny day although the frost in the shade of the trees still hasn't gone, it's dropped to 1.2 now and unfortunately the clear skies we were promised have clouded up. I've been creative and made a wreath for the front door and the tree is lit up and looking lovely.

I took the bike for a lovely 9 mile ride this afternoon - it's not often that mid-winter weather allows this.

My Xmas decs consist of cards and an invertted V thing with pretend candles for putting in the window. The computer whiz has just phoned to say he's going to try and get over with a new computer for me. This loaned laptop has evoked more curses than I care to admit!

[mangerton]

After a lovely sunny morning - although very cold - the sky clouded over. Little chance of seeing meteors tonight, I fear.

[Nick Armstrong]

very cold

Bizarre! ... http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotlan...tland-30530281

I think I'd prefer deep-fried Mars bars!

Dark and gloomy in the Metrollops, looks on the verge of rain but not till tonight we are told and I hope.

[mangerton]

Bizarre! ... http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotlan...tland-30530281

I think I'd prefer deep-fried Mars bars!

Dark and gloomy in the Metrollops, looks on the verge of rain but not till tonight we are told and I hope.

Indeed. Most odd. Never seen anything like that. Never had a deep fried Mars bar either.

A mild 7º C here today, but after a sunny morning, it's now a dismal evening, and it's pitch black outside at 16.15.

[Anna]

A mild 7º C here today, but after a sunny morning, it's now a dismal evening, and it's pitch black outside at 16.15.

Mild? You call that mild? Here it's proper mild, over 12° and it peaked at 13.5° !!! Very very windy, a SSWester gusting at 30mph. We're promised extremely heavy rain later, (it's just started spitting now), then turning cold, then warmer, then cold ...... What's happened to the forecasts of a white Christmas the Daily Depress promised us?

Those frozen pancakes in the river are weird but quite picturesque......

[Serial_Apologist]

Mild? You call that mild? Here it's proper mild, over 12° and it peaked at 13.5° !!! Very very windy, a SSWester gusting at 30mph. We're promised extremely heavy rain later, (it's just started spitting now), then turning cold, then warmer, then cold ...... What's happened to the forecasts of a white Christmas the Daily Depress promised us?

Those frozen pancakes in the river are weird but quite picturesque......

Well now, "Brummie Simon" was yesterday predicting winds turning to the north on Xmas Eve over Scotland, bringing "wintry showers" down to low levels there, but not committing himself as to a white Xmas or otherwise. It's still too early for the computer to be saying no, so I'll stick my wet finger out and say no for snow here in the south generally on the day.

[mangerton]

Mild? You call that mild? Here it's proper mild, over 12° and it peaked at 13.5° !!!

I certainly do. This is Scotland in December we're talking about, don't forget. 12º is positively tropical.

Very very windy, a SSWester gusting at 30mph. We're promised extremely heavy rain later, (it's just started spitting now), then turning cold, then warmer, then cold ...... What's happened to the forecasts of a white Christmas the Daily Depress promised us?

Those frozen pancakes in the river are weird but quite picturesque......

Well. Not like the Depress to get it wrong when talking about the weather. Still, there's plenty of time for snow to fall.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Mild? You call that mild? Here it's proper mild, over 12° and it peaked at 13.5° !!!

Same temperatures yesterday in the Pennines - an it chucked it down all day.

Much chillier today - six degrees max - but with a lot of clear skies and sunshine between the squally showers.

[BBMmk2]

Rather a nip in the air today. Talk about Black saturday!!

[Anna]

Rather a nip in the air today. Talk about Black saturday!!

It got to 9.3° here earlier but the nip is in the wind, not very pleasant out although it's been mainly sunny. All this talk of Black Saturday - here it wasn't any busier than a normal Saturday, no Sally Army band today round the tree in town but a small brass band, mainly youngsters, playing traditional Carols, and very good they were too.

Looking ahead it seems the forecast is warmer as from tomorrow with Christmas Day (here) promising to be sunny and bright and around 8°. Luckily still not much rain forecast thank goodness so no slippy icy roads to cause problems.

[Serial_Apologist]

It got to 9.3° here earlier but the nip is in the wind, not very pleasant out although it's been mainly sunny. All this talk of Black Saturday - here it wasn't any busier than a normal Saturday, no Sally Army band today round the tree in town but a small brass band, mainly youngsters, playing traditional Carols, and very good they were too.

Looking ahead it seems the forecast is warmer as from tomorrow with Christmas Day (here) promising to be sunny and bright and around 8°. Luckily still not much rain forecast thank goodness so no slippy icy roads to cause problems.

A bit colder than that for Christmas Day I would think, Anna. Unless you're south or south-east of a hill or mountain.

Brilliant sunshine this morning here, even warmth in the sun, but now it's cloudy, though the atmosphere's clear as a bell.

[teamsaint]

the remains of the day in South Wilts. Been a lovely day here.

Over to you for analysis of the elements, S-A !!



(focus not quite right, obviously !!)