|
Where's my Fiesta?Without that the site is useless.
|
6.5°C as I drove to work this morning, so below the threshold temperature for winter tyres - which I don't have. RWD car too, of course, so it was well-nigh uncontrollable even on the gentlest curves. It was slithering alarmingly as I braked on the M4 exit sliproad, was halfway across the line by the time I could stop it, and I entered the office car park rear end first, taking most of the red and white barrier with me as the camera hadn't had time to read my number plate. Simply terrifying; must get those tyres ordered pronto.*
* I may have made some or all of this up.
|
|
Looks like a Yank site that has been poorly modified for UK-hope they take more effort with tyre manufacturing.
|
|
Back to 8°C last night and 12 this morning. Makes me wonder if anyone makes wind tyres; the TDS this morning caught a nasty gust across the A404(M) and took a bit of catching. Stronger still this afternoon, apparently - and 15°C. Merry Christmas.
|
|
On Boxing Day, take particular care to watch out for strong winds from Brussels.
|
....a friend of mine nearly gained an entry in The Guinness Book of Records for the most Brussels Sprouts eaten in a minute.........
.....unfortunately, the attempt was discounted due to the following wind.....
|
Glad I don't have a ski holiday booked. Conditions look pretty desperate right across the Alps. Live webcams don't lie, despite what some operators might report, or promise. Lots of really cheap deals again today, but why bother. Might as well stay home and get wet.
Lashing rain here in Ribblesdale. Afternoon will be spent in the gym & sauna then 'early doors'' for a few. Sadly, no beach volleyball to watch today.
|
|
Lifts and pistes open in Bosnia at half the price. There's life beyond the Alps.
|
|
Thanks for the link. Glad I declined my friends offer to join them going out to Austria tomorrow 23/12. Looked at the village webcams. No snow anywhere. I shall reassess in March. Financial meltdown as well.
|
|
Yep, not good. A pal was telling me ruefully that he's off on Sunday to Meribel for a week with his family of five. Could be an expensive ( but presumably unexpectedly relaxing ) holday.
|
|
I looked at the Meribel webcams this am. It's bad enough transiting through Meribel in early March from Courch to VT. your pal has my condolences. Forecast is for increasing temps this week.
|
Unpleasantly mild - a bit sticky - as well as wet and very, very windy.
Not that keen on sub-zero but it seems appropriate in what should be the dead of winter.
Complain, complain, complain...
|
In about September, didn't the Daily Express tell us we were in for Wintergeddon, something to make 1963 look like a teddy bear's picnic?
Hmm.
|
>>In about September, didn't the Daily Express tell us we were in for Wintergeddon
Still plenty of time for that. Shortest day today, wev usually goes downhill from now on, temp wise.
I've still got all the logs in my log store, reckon I'll need 'em in Jan, Feb, and march on from there.
|
|
I'm using my logs at a fair rate just to drive out the damp from the chimney. And a multi fuel stove, mines Morso Badger, makes a cracking focal point. Lots of entertainment to be gained from it.
|
Yoos got a s/s liner, Shirley. I like Morso stoves. I was looking at the
www.stovesonline.co.uk/wood_burning_stoves/Morso-Panther-Stove.html
As you know they are cast iron, unlike the modern steel carp Hunter etc. stoves.
|
|
I have limited experience of stoves... Mine has been only installed for 12 years now. My first and worth every penny. I see no point in just getting a wood burner, multi fuel every time for me. Friends recently installed a wood burner only type and now regret it. And don't get one too big, unless the fire place opening is huge. Better to have a smaller stove operating at near max capacity. But make sure it's big enough for decent logs. The Badger suits my requirements perfectly...I have stone on 3 sides, plus a large stone lintel to hold a few ceramic ornaments, candles etc. even when the stove has gone out the stonework continues to radiate heat for many hours.
|
>> even when the stove has gone out the stonework continues to radiate heat for many hours.
Indeed, like a huge storage radiator. My Hunter Herald 8kw is multi fuel, but whereas I normally burn Taybrite, I've gorn over to logs now. Using Taybrite I could bank it up on my old stove and it would still be burning some 20 hours later, but this thing burns wood like it grows on trees - even with all the air valves closed.
Um gonna fit a flue damper and see how I get on with that, and if that doesn't effect a cure, I'll block orf some of the upper air-wash slots with fire cement!
|
>> Still plenty of time for that. Shortest day today, wev usually goes downhill from now
>> on, temp wise.
>> I've still got all the logs in my log store, reckon I'll need 'em in
>> Jan, Feb, and march on from there.
>>
I've seen a few predictions, perhaps all referencing the same data?, that say from mid-Jan until March it'll be colder with some snow.
|
|
No data Bill, just going by experience of previous years ... It's too early to remove the winter tyres ;)
|
|
you'd be better off putting the winter tyres in the log burner
|
>>you'd be better off putting the winter tyres in the log burner
Would that have any effect on global warming I wonder .. and anyway, I don't like the smell of burning rubber - therein lies a joke told to me by someone who used to be a caretaker of the Lambeth Walk estate!!!
|
|
Rejoice in the lack of salt/grit on the roads (and the money saved for Councils and Highway Agency) and the lower heating bills for the rest of us!
|
|
The salt thought occurred to me too, BB. I'd noticed I'm refilling the screen reservoirs of both cars much less often than usual, probably because there's no saline spray to remove from the glass. Small comfort against the creeping feeling that it's all going wrong and it's our fault.
|
My car had salt on it until it got its winter wash this last weekend. Not from the roads of course but because it crossed the Irish Sea on an outside deck in a storm a couple of weeks ago.
It looked really smart for about 24 hours but it has done the thick end of 500 miles this week already so it's bogging again.
|
>> My car had salt on it
ye gods, you jocks will deep fry anything.
|
I'm cooking this Christmas. I thought if I bashed the turkey about a bit in advance with a lump hammer I might be able to get it in the deep fat fryer...
;-)
|
Here is a handy video showing how to deep fry a frozen turkey.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QMuLU7oi14
|
Fab !
Reckon that's cooked.
|
>> I've still got all the logs in my log store.
>>
Not for long, I'm bringing the trailer tomoz!
|
>>Not for long, I'm bringing the trailer tomoz!
Beware of the Beauceron ...!!!
|
In about September, didn't the Daily Express tell us we were in for Wintergeddon
It's a seasonal thing with that paper, they've been saying it since 1963. The fact we've not (yet) had a mini ice age and frozen Thames again seems to do little to put them off.
|
When I was actually doing some work to earn Airmiles in September, most of the local farming community were bracing themselves for a severe winter. Something to do with forecasts from Germany.
I feel sorry for the sheep, although tomorrow promises to be dry & sunny.
|
Long range forecast for January
Overall, above average temperatures are most probable, The chance of a prolonged cold spell taking hold is currently considered to be low.
If you believe the met office.
|
You should have seen my pals face tonight. Flying out tomorrow for a weeks ( non) skiing in Austria. I told him to look on the bright side ... He could run up the hills and do Sound of Music impressions. Or go zorbing.
Not a happy bunny
|
|
yeah, got friends off to Bulgaria for a skiing christmas, they are frantically re-planing some hiking and climbing there instead.
|
These days I never book a ski holiday more than a week in advance. Lots of availability almost everywhere, as are live webcams, so simply no need unless you are being very specific in your requirements.
My recent Tenner Iffy jaunt was booked at 48 hours notice for the flight, 24 for the hotel.
|
Just been Facetimed by my CA friends. They have driven the 920 miles to Telluride, CO, to spend Christmas. It's cold. And snowing like crazy in the Rockies.
It never ceases to amaze me the wonder of modern real time webcams... When looking at it I almost feel that I'm looking down in person on the main drag from a rooftop. Brrrr.
|
It began raining late yesterday morning here in upper Ribblesdale, and is still pouring. Got drenched dog walking yesterday am, so might fester in my pit until noon. Neighbours called round at lunchtime and took him with them to the Lakes...an hours drive to Ambleside and just after drying out in their car he then had a 3 hour walk over Loughrigg. Today he declined the walk and went back to bed. Don't blame him.
Still incredibly mild....I was going to make a 70 mile trip and visit my 97 yo Aunt who is on her own, but problems with flooded roads have deterred me. Suppose I shall have to get up eventually and open a stack of post, see who has sent me Xmas cards!
|
>>Suppose I shall have to get up eventually and open a stack of post, see who has sent me Xmas cards!
You remind me my ole friend up on Bodmin Moor. He used get loads of Christmas cards from far and wide, but he never put them out on display. I put them all out for him one Christmas when I stayed with him, and he quite liked that.
No rain [yet] in Sunni Cornwall, apart from a sprinkling yesterday morn. Two hour walk yesterday, same today.
No one about yesterday for some strange reason :)
|
Windy today but temperature was 58 at 02:00
Now at 1130 it is about the same and a shirt sleeve day in Surrey.
|
Combination of wind and mild temperature mean the grass is dry enough to mow. Got left slightly long in autumn and has been growing since!! First time I've mowed after end October.
ISTR though arriving though home after trad Boxing Day with Mrs B's now deceased aunt/uncle in Worcestershire c. early noughties to note neighbour over road had just cut her lawn.
|
Lawn mowing? My top lawn, the width of the property, has a slight slope on it but is still severely waterlogged and needs wellies to walk across. Never known it as bad in 15 years here. Latest update is major roads closed in my vicinity, no trains running to either Carlisle or Lancaster, and the forecast is for it to get worse.
I'm staying in bed with a good book!
Might get up in a few hours and go to meet friends in the pub, which fortunately is only a five minute walk.
|
>> Lawn mowing? My top lawn, the width of the property, has a slight slope on
>> it but is still severely waterlogged and needs wellies to walk across.
Job done.
The ground (clay) remains pretty wet but at least the grass was dry enough to cut without clogging the mower.
|
>> Lawn mowing?
Haven't done my lawns for near on 2 months... haven't dared. Most of them I do with a ride on and a couple of times I've walked down there to see what the score is.... and had trouble not leaving marks with the wellies, so it's a complete 'no go'.
My neighbour tried it with his ride-on and it slid down backwards into the stream and he had to get me to help him get it back out.
Trouble is the grass is still growing.
|
>> Trouble is the grass is still growing.
That was my problem. Grass waving like a cornfield in the breeze for at least the last fortnight.
Fortunately lawn is level is urban development pocket handkin size so no problem for my hand propelled 38cm Bosch mains electric jobby.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Sat 26 Dec 15 at 16:46
|
a shirt sleeve day in Surrey.
>>
>>
I haven't heard that phrase in ages.
|
>> Cut my lawn on 23rd.
>>
My back lawn was cut on the 19th. It was just a liitle damp on the Wetern side where the 6 foot fence sields it from the wind.
It has been dry and windy all day so I plan to cut the front lawn tomorrow.
It has a very fine " woodland" type grass that grows so much slower plus it gets the full effect of the wind. No rain expected tonight - I hope.
|
Mild weather. - jc2
