Grannymar

We had a thaw and it was followed by rain.

Friday the wind howled and roared with a vengence trying to find entry or blow my house down.  The house won.  On Saturday morning the wind was gone like a naughty animal with its tail between its legs.

The day was mild so I worked outside for two hours in the garden (clearing and sweeping up)!  It is the first time in twelve months that I have been able to do that.  Woo Hoo!

Today the daylight is different.  Not sunny.  But Different.

I am off to enjoy it.  Catch you later.

Friend (F): Did you not go out tobogganing?

Me (M): LOL! I went ice skating instead. Snow is for young people, I was out for 30 mins today and an hour on 29th Dec.

(F): You won’t break any records with that!

(M): I don’t want to break anything.

(F): I Don’t blame you.

(M): I stood at the front door several times in the last week and my chest felt it was in a vice, it was not good I can tell you.

(F): Did you go out in the car today?

(M): A friend drove me. It is still very icy here.

(F): A toyboy????

(M): Not this time.

(F): Aaaw!

(M): My little neighbour has a bad chest infection and her water pipes are frozen. I took her down a large jug of water.

(F): Did you hear we’re facing water shortages here in Dublin?

(M): Nothing surprises me any more.

(F): Due to silly people running taps to stop pipes freezing plus breaks in water pipes!

(M): My sister has frozen water pipes – it is outside the house somewhere.

(F): Water pressure has been reduced around Dublin to conserve supply.

(M): Our water pressure is always reduced automatically in the winter months.

(F): We’ve lost internet connection here tonight.

(M): Remember how life was when we were young?

(F): I grew up in old house with no central heating only open fires.

(M): We have become so attached to the internet and central heating, how did we manage years ago? RTE 1 Television [only one station] - from 6pm to midnight or a radio the size of a wardrobe.  No mobile phones or computers, sitting round an open fire with our fronts scorched and our backs frozen! Shins covered in abc’s.  If you went out to get more coal, someone stole your warm seat!

(F): I remember it well. We had stone hot jars too for bedtime, jaysus, it makes me feel ancient! We had to put them in beds to stop them (beds) getting damp.

(M): Yeah, those days were awful. Frost on the inside of the windows, you got dressed to get into bed and then undressed and dressed again under the bedclothes in the morning! Oh! I remember not wanting to sit on the loo seat because it was so cold!

(F): ROFLOL!

(M): Stop laughing, it was no joke.

(F): You are telling me!  I still perch on one cheek sometimes ‘cos of the cold!

(M): I became a dab hand at sitting on my knickers.

(F): I dare you put that in a blog post.

(M): I will too! In the morning.

The moral of the story is never dare me to do something!

Christmas dawned one cold and frosty morning!

That looks like Elly’s handiwork!

The view behind the car

Silent beauty of the fruit garden

No snow. we had -11°C frost!

Looking down the Avenue from the house, watching for the children to arrive.

Thankfully the temperature raised its little head on Wednesday night to 3°C. That happened with a sprinkling of snow. I often heard jack say over the years that it was ‘Too cold for snow!’ Well up and until Wednesday night it was way to cold.

This is how the roads looked round and about where I live. Not a good idea for stepping out with my creaking hips. It would almost make you long for a surface like the old Naas Road leaving Dublin in the Kildare direction. It was made in concrete sections and you almost felt as if the wheels of the car were square, going thump[ity, thumpity, thump for mile after mile.

The roads around here are all modern Tarmac and they are fine for most of the year. It is the extremes that cause the problem. On the rare occasion that we have a heat-wave then the tar becomes soft and sticks to the soles of your shoes. Alas we are more used to the conditions of this week. The roads and pavements were like skating rinks and it was impossible to keep from sliding about. The best solution I have found is to wear a pair of old socks over my shoes - in extreme conditions who cares what I look like.

I wish I had footwear like these guys!

The photo was taken at Lough Neagh on a frosty day in December 2005.

Torrential rain has caused widespread flooding across Northern Ireland this weekend. In Belfast, the newly-constructed Broadway Underpass between the M1 & M2 Motorways was flooded to a level of 15 feet yesterday and a section of the central barrier of the Westlink in west Belfast was cut with angle-grinders to allow traffic to be turned away from deep flood water.

The picture above is not a swimming pool It is the entrance to the new Broadway underpass courtesy of the BBC.

The underpass, recently opened, is part of a major contract to upgrade the roadways in Belfast. This work no doubt carried out at enormous expense, with all the expertise, knowledge and modern technology available to deal with drainage etc yet it is unable to take the rains. I wrote the other day about my escapades during the flooding in Dublin last Saturday. Again modern roads with inadequate drainage. Why? How can it happen?

The Fire Service was inundated with calls to help people from their homes in Belfast, Counties Down, Armagh and Antrim. NI Water Dept had 2,700 calls in the afternoon.

It is at times like these that I am glad to live on a hill. Looking out the windows at the back of my bungalow, the fields way below were submerged in water giving the impression I had moved to Venice.

My thoughts turned to building an Ark! Being so high I might actually have it finished before the flood reached me.

Now for the dilemma……

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I need your help….

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What to take two by two into the ark?

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Suggestions on a postcard please!

UPDATE:  Can the problem be solved?  Reading Alan’s Blog post I am beginning to wonder!

In deference to the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Royal Commission for Political Correctness, it was announced at the weekend that the local climate in the UK should no longer be referred to as “English weather.”

In order to avoid offending a sizable portion of the population, it will now be referred as “Muslim weather.” In other words -

“partly Sunni but mostly Shiite.”

I seem to be reaching the end of my sentence.

Sunday morning dawned freezing and foggy the end of the garden was hidden from view. I was feeling very hungry so decided to have breakfast before my efforts at beautification! While I eat I debated with myself whether to have a long soak in the bath or a shower. The idea of the shower won because my hair could be washed at the same time. For some reason I think that the shower is easier to clean than the bath, so that had some bearing on my decision.

I went into my bedroom to gather my bits & pieces and realised that I had not turned down my bed. Singing to myself I shook the duvet, straightened the bottom sheet, folded down the duvet to air the bed and then lifted a pillow… Yes! One down & feather pillow and I have not been the same since.

My bed is high and as I puffed up the pillow I was standing upright and not bent over. The pillows are very light and not hard to puff. Suddenly with pillow in mid air I screamed and could not move. A searing pain had gripped me across my back and around my tummy. It took me 10 minutes to get myself onto the bed and pull the covers up. I stayed there for several hours trying to find a few minutes relief from the agony.

In the early afternoon I managed to drag myself to the kitchen where I made a warm drink, some toast and took some strong painkillers that remained from when I broke my wrist. Back to bed where I stayed until the next day.

Monday was not much better. I managed to stay on my feet for a couple of hours but had to give in about lunchtime. Thankfully I had some of my homemade soups and dinners in the freezer. On Tuesday I was determined not to go back to bed if possible. I wrapped a hot water bottle in a long scarf and tied it like a belt around my waist. The heat at my back certainly gave me some relief and I was able to move about slowly.

The radio has been a constant companion over these few days. I was unable to listen to comedy programmes because it hurt too much to laugh! The weather warnings for the past day or so are frightening so today I wrapped up well, struggled into the car and went down the town to stock up with food to see me through.

My pain is a little easier, I have a roof over my head, heat and plenty of food so if the snow comes as expected you might not hear from me until next June!