Weather

groundhog wrote:Thanks Boaby, we are so lucky to have great beaches to walk on if that is your thing, it was a balmy 5 degrees by the water yesterday and there was no swell at all, like a duck pond! Sorry you have rain today, you will have to get Tag his own umbrella!
Blue skies and cumulonimbus here so hoping to get out and finish building the owl boxes, we have tree surgeons coming in this month to take out  an ash with dieback and a sickly beech so hopefully they can be bribed to place the boxes for me, too old now for climbing trees
Enjoy the rest of your day!

Maisie used to love the beaches on Bute, Tag being a Donny dog isn't so keen, plus we are over whelmed with dog walkers here,unless you go down early in the dark. Many of the dogs are off lead too ! This causes problems.
We have a large golfing umbrella Hog, it's ideal until the rain comes at you horizontal , slate grey sky with more rain forecast.
Keep of the ladders 
Boaby

-5°c this morning but we're now basking with the gauge showing it's only -1°c now Took me a little while to get the car defrosted so I could go for some essential items (Sunday papers ) Only do modest climbing when the pear tree needs a trim

Need yer Rab C simmit on then Tony, chilly willy at -5, it's warmed up here, very windy with heavy showers coming in of the sea.
Brief walk out this morning,didn't enjoy it.
Have a nice day.
Boaby

Air temperature at +1 but pavements are sheet ice. Went to Tesco at 7am, shop was well stocked and quiet so no problem there.

Car park was like an ice rink. Lass on checkout said they had phoned in to Tesco operations at 5am requesting urgent gritting of car park, Phone calls now go to call centre in India and comment she heard was person taking the call had no clue what ice was in this context and didn't understand risks to staff and customers.

Needless to say staff were frustrated and concerned.

Pretty much the same over here on the other side A bit more cloud in the sky but still cold and icy underfoot. No plans to go out and that may well be the plan for the next few months

sub tropical 5 degrees down here, very light cloud cover and no sign of any frost. Getting ahead on the to do list now which is great, still not finished the owl boxes though. Have a horrible feeling tier 4 or worse is on the way in which case our tree surgeons will be back on furlough and the boxes will not get put up anyway!

Stay safe everyone the cavalry are coming over the hill with their needles soon!

Bilbobaggins wrote:

Car park was like an ice rink. Lass on checkout said they had phoned in to Tesco operations at 5am requesting urgent gritting of car park, 

On the pavement close to the way in to our estate- and in many other places in town- there are big yellow bins marked GRIT.   No-one has ever used them to my knowledge and we are not sure whether they are for the council coming round when the roads are icy or for use by any of us when necessary. We've not even looked into one to check if it's empty or what though that will change today.

Does anyone have them locally and know who they are intended for ?

They're not needed today; it's grey, dry, 4 deg C and quite windy.

Bilbobaggins wrote:Air temperature at +1 but pavements are sheet ice. Went to Tesco at 7am, shop was well stocked and quiet so no problem there.

Car park was like an ice rink. Lass on checkout said they had phoned in to Tesco operations at 5am requesting urgent gritting of car park, Phone calls now go to call centre in India and comment she heard was person taking the call had no clue what ice was in this context and didn't understand risks to staff and customers.

Needless to say staff were frustrated and concerned.

Our local COOP trolley Guy spreads road salt out if required on the footpaths and car park , mind it's a lot smaller that the other SMs.
My wife has given up on these call centres, the operators say they carn't understand her accent   
Turned into another dreich morning 
Boaby

We have grit bins to Quilter, dotted on the hilly areas on our estate, very rarely used as locals carn't be bothered to the spread salt out before they leave their driveways , they prefer to spine out , most don't even clean the ice of their cars before setting out.  
Boaby

burlingtonboaby wrote:, most don't even clean the ice of their cars before setting out.  
Boaby

Thanks. We must pass them umpteen times per week but have never really looked closely at them.

What really irritates me is the number of people who complain bitterly about having to de-ice their windscreen in the morning. When I was working and had to set off at crack of dawn each day I used to cover the windscreen and back window with cheap silver screen thingies and they worked like a charm. Newspaper, a blanket or old sheet, anything works and saves lots of time and frozen fingers. It's definitely not rocket science !

As I lie snug and warm in bed each morning I have to resist the temptation, as I hear them all scraping and their engines running, to open the window and shout " WHY DON'T YOU COVER THE SCREEN AT NIGHT !"

We call it " heed da bawl " daffies,  squals coming of sea, sleet/ hail.
Boaby

Another grey yuk day here. The wind and rain is certainly from the N/ E. It was nice and cosy in the workshop but it was a battle to lock the door and get back to the house with our freezing and getting soaked.
Typically muttly decided to go for mooch round the garden when I got in and of coarse I had to go and rescue him when he fell over. He hasn’t been off the decking for days. 

Dried up in the early hours. Chilly easterly bringing in the sea fret/Har.
At least it's stopped raining.
Have a nice day.
Boaby

Clear blue skies and no wind, a starry night and a light frost this morning. Time to take all the Christmas lights down. I have really enjoyed them this year, normally looking forward to taking them down if we are here for Christmas.
I have about half a dozen whip trees ready for collection in Devon but not sure if I am allowed to collect them or not, guess they will have to wait for a bit!

groundhog wrote:I have about half a dozen whip trees ready for collection in Devon but not sure if I am allowed to collect them or not, guess they will have to wait for a bit!

Garden centres can remain open but as you are not supposed to drive I don't know how you are supposed to get to them.

groundhog wrote:
I have about half a dozen whip trees ready for collection in Devon but not sure if I am allowed to collect them or not, guess they will have to wait for a bit!

Will they deliver or box up for post ? Shops -and garden centres- round here really seem to have gone all out for delivery and click and collect.

Interesting, our garden centres in Scotland are closed this time as part of the restrictions. We have some light rain, not enough to be annoying but a nightmare as it's falling on ground that's already frozen. The forecast is for more overnight and for temperatures to drop even further. Our Wednesday trip to the shops for our essentials may need to be reconsidered

Light flurries of sleet, chilly easterly wind bringing in the sea mist,fret, Har.
Lots of Blackies out, heard a Song thrush trying to get into tune,otherwise not much else on the go.
No snow or ice yet.
Have a nice day and wrap up warm.
Boaby

-4°c this morning and another heavy frost, just getting light but Blackbirds, Coaltits and Sparrows already in for some food. Rain and snow forecast for tomorrow so we need to get to the shops today. Thank goodness for the wheels having a heated windscreen.

Another dry and mostly sunny one here, no wind and a mild 2 degrees. Thankfully a lot of birds seem to be returning, as I type a woodpecker is hammering away in the background and plenty of aerial activity at last. Still very odd, no geese at all on the local tidal river, normally dozens of them by now.
Walk in to the village to get local veggies today, always fun, not far to walk but takes ages as everyone wants to stop for a chat!
Stay safe
'hog

groundhog wrote:Another dry and mostly sunny one here, no wind and a mild 2 degrees. Thankfully a lot of birds seem to be returning, as I type a woodpecker is hammering away in the background and plenty of aerial activity at last. Still very odd, no geese at all on the local tidal river, normally dozens of them by now.
Walk in to the village to get local veggies today, always fun, not far to walk but takes ages as everyone wants to stop for a chat!
Stay safe
'hog

Chatty people,unlike here,Bute was great for locals to chat, or take the mick.
Fret cleared, warmed up to +4 ,winds dropped.
Dozens of Chaffinchs in the back gardens , Must have come down from the Kelder Forrest.
Hope this latest bird flu doesn't hit our wildfowl.
Boaby

   Dropped below freezing last night,roads and pavements all frozen up this morning, starlite sky  brief walk this morning.
Heating on in the van,plus batteries on charge.
Boaby

Woke up to about an inch of snow covering the ground outside but it has fallen on icy pavements and roads. One of the reasons we enjoy motorhoming, like camping before that, is engaging in conversations with others. Getting a "hello" or "good morning" out of our neighbours at home is about as far as it gets.

Askit wrote:Woke up to about an inch of snow covering the ground outside but it has fallen on icy pavements and roads. One of the reasons we enjoy motorhoming, like camping before that, is engaging in conversations with others. Getting a "hello" or "good morning" out of our neighbours at home is about as far as it gets.

Our elderly neighbours are fine Tony, Steve next door is great  right down to earth type of guy.Paul on the other side is brilliant. Ex engineer,handy for metalwork jobs.
It's freezing out the back garden. Everything is solid. Put some meal worms out earlier,all gone.
Boaby

About freezing and clear blue skies again. Good day for a walk in the fresh air