THE Prepping thread - a new beginning :)

GreyQueen

mardatha wrote: »

GQ things there sounds very like they are here. But a lot of muttering is going on here because Sky News totally ignored us when we had the red warning and the bad weather - but now that southern regions have it there is a special news programme on it. Honest to god, I can just hear the one-liner on the end of the news saying "Scotland has today dropped off the planet.. meanwhile in Downing Street, Larry the Cat has caught a mouse" :rotfl::rotfl:

Yeah, I remember when I lived in Scotland, how England-centric the news was. Howsomever, in England, it's really only the bits approximate to Lunnon Town itself which akshully count with the meeja. The rest of us are just like the scruffy bit at the bottom of the garden.

People who aren't in their workplaces have been having their own versions of the winter olympics on some of the bigger hills in this rather hilly city. Skiers have been seen, fgs.:rotfl:Well, cars are snowed in, you need to make alternative travel arrangements.

I have also been talking to police control about various things. Suffice to say, there will be some very interesting car insurance claims once this is all over, and there must be some red faces around right now.

thriftwizard

It's snowed for most of the day here; the DDs are beside themselves with glee as they have literally never seen anything like it! DD1 was off work today, as it happens, & it's likely that they won't be opening tomorrow as the management have a 15-mile journey in from the back of (ungritted) beyond. DS2 was sent home early, but OH is staying in the office tonight, partly because he went in by bus in the hope of running home (marathon training) and they've all been cancelled. There's a canteen, complete with TV, & it's a 24-hr building so he'll be fine, if not particularly comfortable. He won't be alone; he has colleagues that commute from the seaside town 30 miles away and there's been chaos on the roads since lunchtime.

We're cosy so far & everything is working fine; the only slight problem is that my lovely snowboots now seem to be communal property...

GreyQueen

Have just refilled one of my two 25 litre water carriers and stashed it neatly up the corner of the kitchen. Have two of this size, plus one 10 litre and various 2 litre bottles. If the pipes freeze, nowt is getting between me and a cuppa.

If the mains gas goes off, the gas cooker goes down, which means the tea kettle goes onto the camping stove. If I were ever to run out of butane canisters, I move swiftly to the kelly kettle (have pine cones dipped in wax stored in bike shed to use with the kk on the walkway outside).

must.have.tea.

It's well below freezing outside.

[Deleted User]

It's still snowing here, unheard of! we have inches of snow, I don't know how many as I'm not going out there to measure it. It's pellets of snow rather than flakes, little solid round balls which blow in every gust of wind and are now making nice little piles of themselves up against car wheels and the bases of trees, vey pretty it is too. I know now that having the right gear means dealing with weather like this is much easier, I wore my Swedish coat with a stiffened peak on the hood and a chin/mouth storm guard built in when I walked Cookie after lunch and the snow was never falling on my face, the fabric is waterproof and windproof so I was dry and warm and He Who Knows found me a pair of wrap round glasses with yellow lenses that our builder recommended to him for windy weather and they totally solved the running eyes in the cold wind problem. Sheepskin gloves and a thermal fleece scarf and I was toasty. It was a really lovely walk and Cookie was very puppy like and pinging into the snow and wagging madly. The right gear makes life a great deal comfier!

GreyQueen

:T Well done, Lyn. I always recall what a Kiwi pensioner told me on a walking trail in NZ; there's no such thing as bad weather, only inadequate clothing.

Have been astonished at what some adults have been dressing themselves in today and yesterday, bearing in mind that temps have been well below freezing all day, with a windchill making it much colder than the thermometer actually indicates.

A dearth of warm hats, even on chaps with not a lot of hair across their scalps, no gloves, thin fashionable jackets with no warmth to them. I did see one dude in an almost ankle-length military greatcoat and tankdriver hat, which was an ensemble both stylish and appropriate.

I have been enjoying the benefits of wool (am with TW on swooping on it secondhand) as well as my heavy padded puffa jacket, from the chazzer last January.

MadamMim2013

Have gratefully stayed snug with my boys most of the day, ventured to the shed to retrieve my Wellies & the snow shovel I bought (& never used) 4 years ago!!
Then discovered to my :eek: I'd run out of cat pellets that I keep for emergencies, so back down to shed (in wellies, the snow reached half way by this point!) found the litter tray and after faffing with the shed door that wouldn't shut hot footed it back indoors!
DS1 sat there laughing while I shredded up newspaper to fill it as neither kitty will go outdoors currently, they get to the door & then back up.. (& rightfully so, think it's cold enough to freeze mid flow:eek::eek::rotfl:)he was impressed at my out the box thinking.. Where there's a will there's a way!
Will defo make sure that I refresh my supply once this beautiful looking white stuff vanishes (as soon as possible, thank you very much, all have had enough now!:mad:)
Sending gert warm hugs to all in need & wish that (as much as possible) everyone keeps safe! :smileyhea

Nargleblast

fuddle - cheers, marra! I know many people will have faced the same decision the past couple of days, and I am satisfied that my employers and colleagues know I slog my guts out like a blue tailed fly when I am there. And it is the nature of the team I work with that we can work well together, busy or not.

Some respite from the snow forecast tomorrow, we will see if it comes to pass. My DS is coming home for the weekend on the choo choo train tomorrow, there will be negotiations between me and OH as to who ventures out to pick him up from the station.

It makes a change that the current spell of inclement weather is being shared out over the country. Let us hope we get a fabulous summer that all of us, north, south, east and west, can enjoy.

[Deleted User]

I can hear plinks outside, I believe that it is rain falling as ice, probably an ice storm coming up, treacherous stuff. I cannot see out here, pitch black. Some areas are already without power, the ice is building on power lines

jk0

This guy really tickles me about what he says about English weather and people.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXJnlzHLWf8

Nargleblast

Some fair comments there, jko. English bureaucracy can be soul destroying at times.