Preparing for winter IV

[Deleted User]

KITTIE you're helping us much more than confusing us so thank you for all the heads ups you've given over the past few years, they have been so helpful and informative. I'm very grateful to you for sharing the information you're allowed to share with us here. Please, if you feel able, keep the information coming, it really helps to be prepared for the increasingly severe and in this last few weeks constant weather happenings that we've been having in the UK. Have a lovely evening celebrating however you want to and I wish you and your DH the Happiest and most successful New Year in 2014, Lyn xxx.

calicocat

Fruball wrote: »

What experiment? I am guessing you are turning the heating off for a bit? How long? I might do this with the kids in the New Year to show them how lucky we are to have constant warmth...



ABSOLUTELY!!! I have always said to people to wear a vest underneath! I had a onesie years ago, before they were popular, when I lived in a freezing flat and going to the loo was awful!

We were discussing it at dinner (!) recently, with friends, and we all said that the design should be improved with regards to a flap/opening so we could go to the loo without freezing.... I suspect this will be available next year so I will wait and buy one then

Oops....yes it was an experiment about not needing the heating on if you are wearing a onesie.

Sorry folks....got carried away with onesie excitement....and ended up posting all over about it.

What can I say...I need to get out more if actually forcing myself to buy one of those is excitement!!


Just for the record it works anyhow.....amazing...lol.

[Deleted User]

Thank you for your kind words. I confused everyone in my own family, having mentioned the snow word. If I had just said R5 then everyone would have been more wised up but hey no damage done and better to be prepared anyway. We are bang at the start of the massive solar flare effects now hence the evil storms and up and down weather, so hard to cope with and adapt to

Maybe read this dm page about tomorrow and saturday, I see they have shut the thames barrage and there was a lot on the channel 4 news today about potential for flooding and severe wind (again). They have had a cobra meeting
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2532595/Swathes-Britain-remain-flooded-waterlogged-storms-Governments-Cobra-emergency-committee-meets.html

Like I said before, best to multiply the met o forecast to cover this period, it still looks innocuous even for my sw area. ie Don`t believe a word they say!!!

[Deleted User]

http://spaceweather.com/

arghhh scary stuff again, be prepared for mood swings ie flat/depressed/worried/hyper children/unsettled pets/not being able to settle down and so on as well as headaches/achy bodies/wanting to curl up. Maybe comfort food for a few days and don`t give up the chocolate just now

fuddle

Goodness Kittie, you don't post 'alf as much as you used to - don't be posting even less now some of us get a little heartily smile when we do see a kittie post.

Yes, I've been reading about our flood warnings down the south. Another testing time. Last night was horrendous here as not much of a word. BBC news mention 5 SW severe flood warnings so at least the environment agency know what is happening and can give us early warnings.

I never thought I would be in the position of driving alone at 10pm at night on strange roads in a completely different area. All of a sudden my winter preps have taken me in the direction of waterproofs, flash lights and educating myself about what water is safe to drive in and how.

[Deleted User]

fuddle wrote: »

Goodness Kittie, you don't post 'alf as much as you used to - don't be posting even less now some of us get a little heartily smile when we do see a kittie post.

Yes, I've been reading about our flood warnings down the south. Another testing time. Last night was horrendous here as not much of a word. BBC news mention 5 SW severe flood warnings so at least the environment agency know what is happening and can give us early warnings.

I never thought I would be in the position of driving alone at 10pm at night on strange roads in a completely different area. All of a sudden my winter preps have taken me in the direction of waterproofs, flash lights and educating myself about what water is safe to drive in and how.

fuddle me dear, you are the one that uplifts people, you started as such an unsure little thing and you have blossomed into a most wonderful example to us all

Right then, if you get caught in a flood and you know it is safe to carry on driving, then keep your revs up so that you keep gas going through the exhaust, rather than letting the water in. The gas has to blow the water out. First gear with lots of accelerator pedal but going as slow as possible but not letting the engine conk out. Then drive with foot on brake for a short time, to dry the brakes

I learnt that fast water, only inches deep can knock a grown man over. I saw at first hand when doing my mountain leadership, lots of years ago and be very aware of drains that have blown their lids, they can swallow a man

This winter is proving to be horrendous, we cannot take any more water anywhere

fuddle

Oh excellent! Thanks kittie. I had been doing alright then, keeping my revs up but I fear a little too fast in panic to get through it. It was only an after thought that I remembered aqua planing. If the water is running I would turn round, likewise if too deep but I guess you never know how deep it really is. Yes, water is gathering in every dip in the road and expanding into puddles that are quite something. There really is no where for the water to go now. Saturated beyond belief.

There's something to be said about battening down the hatches prepping. It's a warm fuzzy feeling, a feeling of control and caring, warmth and fondness over family. Prepping for eventualities when you're alone at night, in the dark and coming across ever changing conditions is somewhat frightening.

Fruball

I haven't been out since Monday and haven't even looked out of the window today Luckily I don't live in a flood risk area although parts of my town have flooded before and we did lose a load of fish to the car park at the local lake a few years back :eek:

I have enough food that we don't have to go anywhere until I go back to work on Monday which suits me just fine!

Thanks again for your updates Kittie. They really are much appreciated. I had hoped to go for a blustery walk by the coast (nearest is over an hour from me) these holidays but from your information I have decided that was madness... Confirmed by some hazardous looking pics on FB put up by friends who have gone there for a day out. Crazy.

Fuddle - sounds scary where you are driving. Beware of the edges of roads if you can't see them. The problem with water (and snow) is that it levels everything. People used to frequently end up in ditches where I used to live when the snow levelled the land and they couldn't tell where the side of the road ended and the ditch began :eek:

So, is anyone who suffered from the long power cuts over Christmas on here? I hope everyone is ok and that their winter preps served them well over those horrible days.

toozie_2

Hi Kitty

Thank you for coming back with updates- pretty horrific reading, especially when I heard on the news coming home about the Cobra meeting-you don't hear that very often (or ever??) about weather.

It's good to be in the know, went to top up my already full food cupboards on the way home so I could easily batten down the hatches for quite a while.....but got to go to work tomorrow again, and need to leave about 7.30am, hope it's not too bad by then.

I live 5 mins from sea, but luckily at the top if a hill. Loads of local places by the sea have severe food warnings from the high tides due later. Just thinking about the poor people who may not fair so well-being flooded must be totally horrendous & heart-breaking.
:beer:

Thriftkitten

Just a quick heads up, we got battered with wind and rain here in Cornwall and I was woken up by a huge flash of lightening, carried on for about half an hour, but then passed over, although as soon as sky cleared within 5 mins it was like midnight again and pouring. All is calm now at 09:30 and I think we have sunshine trying to get through, not sure how long it will last though, be safe everyone :eek: