January 2010

1 FireworksHappy New Year to everyone!  I went to bed just after midnight to the sound of fireworks popping.

Alas, we've got a white new year too.  It snowed overnight but it's nothing compared to December's snowfall.  Only perhaps an inch and it a thaw began as the sun got higher.  Only half of it has disappeared though, so my garden is half green and half white.  By 3pm, the temperature had fallen to a level which stopped the thaw.
I've stayed indoors (apart from chicken tending) and listed a mega amount of Cars & Car Conversion magazines which were donated to me earlier in the week.
2 I promised myself I wouldn't do this and I let myself down.  Last year at this time I vowed I would keep our monthly expenditure accounts up-to-date month by month.  Now I've got a drawer full of receipts for the whole year and ploughing through it is a major task.  I did as much as I could bear before stopping, then even the ironing pile seemed exciting.  At least I can catch up on my TV recordings whilst I'm ironing.
3 eBay is a wonderful marketplace.  I thought sales would really drop after Xmas but here I am packing up another 13 items.
4 I've been sent four e-cards from different friends over the holidays and they've all been Jacqui Lawson creations.  Intrigued, I've checked out her website today where there are over 140 cards available to send as many times as you like for a small annual subscription and no advertising or spam involved.  You can freely preview the card before joining and so far I've spotted two with chickens on and one featuring a crow, so I may just have to join up.
5 Thought I might educate you today...  Did you know our usually prolonged spell of cold weather is a result of us suffering an extreme of the Arctic Oscillation?  If you're curious for more info on this then click here and here.
6 Snowing 060110Wow, I remember snow like this as a child 'up north', but I've never seen it like this in my 30 years 'down south'.  It snowed during the night and hasn't stopped.  Big, big flakes and lots of them.  Crow went out to feed the chicks at 9am and by 10:30 his footprints had disappeared, completely filled in by the continuing snowfall.  It's bleak and very quiet.  I've only heard two vehicles go past our gate.
Look, no pond!
Our pond was already frozen before this snowfall and so we've lost it tin the snow now.
15:00 We had an hour when the snow stopped, so having learned lessons in December, we went our and cleared the5 inches of soft snow from the fruit cage, the net tunnel and the two cars.  Crow cleared a path along the patio and steps, and put down salt.  Now it's a blizzard again but at least we've done all we could.
Despite the weather "crisis", our trusty postman still delivers.
7 Crazy weather - the sun is out and it' s snowing.
I've been watching our neighbourhood green woodpecker in our garden, digging in the snow.  Took a photograph but it had to be through the window so as not to frighten it away and my zoom isn't terrific so the bird still looks tiny.
8 Actually made it out today, sporting my last fun hat creation, an earflap design complete with pigtails, made in double chunky wool and very warm.  The two miles along our road was quite exciting, even in a 4x4, but the main routes were all clear.
Every day the news is all about the snow, disruption, school closures and now the lack of salt/grit.  Apparently rationing of salt means that only the main routes will be covered.  I wonder at the full logic of this.  How long will be before no-one can reach a main route because the lesser non-gritted routes are too hazardous?
9 Three or four more inches of overnight snow has filled in our footprints again.  It's bleak and very, very cold with a wind from the north-east and a warning of even more snow tonight.  Even when temperatures rise, which is not on the horizon in the 5-day forecast, it will take a very long time for all of this white stuff to thaw.
14:00  It's a real blizzard out there again.  Is this the overnight snow come early, or is it extra?
10 With all this freezing weather around it's definitely time to talk Porridge.  I dabbled with the instant type this morning, but here some info on making the real stuff and why it's good for you.  Eat it for breakfast, lunch, dessert - in fact, whenever you fancy it.
How to make perfect porridge
Why porridge is the new power breakfast
Actually the temperature is up to 5C so a thaw has started.  Crow went for a walk and found that all the other roads around us are clear, but our 3 mile stretch is still heavily snow & ice covered.
11 The Long Song by Andrea LevyDid you watch Small Island, a two part drama on TV recently?  It was set in Jamaica and London during and after World War Two.  It was based on the book of the same name by Andrea Levy and we both enjoyed it.  It made a refreshing change from the ever present crime, forensic and murder viewing which can dominate the airways. 

A new book, The Long Song by Andrea Levy, also set in Jamaica, during the last years of slavery and the first of freedom, is due out in March.
12 At last, a very much delayed visit to hand over my god-daughter's Xmas present.  Their two kittens, Molly & Ollie, have grown since I last saw them in November.  They're not six months old yet and Ollie is markedly bigger than his "sister".  I just love the calming feeling that stroking a purring cat brings, but I'm not sure I want the responsibility of owning one.  In fact, Sue was quite angry with them when we arrived because they had just pulled down her living room curtains.  Naughty!
13 Freedom at last.  I've actually been out in my little 2-wheel drive Yaris today.  Seems the first time for ages that 4-wheel drive has not been necessary on our back road.  Although sleety-snow was falling thick and fast, it was melting instantly on the wet roads.  Where we since have snow in our garden and on our driveway, it did deposit another cm or two.
14 So, it's pouring with rain, the big thaw has started and our driveway is flooded.  Happy days.
15 Is it true that the only 15 letter word that can be spelled without repeating a letter is "uncopyrightable"?
16 Crow's new Table Top Rally is starting on 27th, so I am tasked with solving the puzzles and plotting the routes to look for errors.  That's all of my spare time used up for at least the next week as I am quite slow at this intellectual challenge.  If you want to know more, click here to visit the site - all proceeds raised go to The MS Society.
17 Ron came today to do some sterling exterior work for us - fixing the rotten wood on the chicken run, cleaning and fixing gutters etc, etc.  For my part, I started the potting shed clearout, so that it can have a spring clean, hence my harvest.
Harvest:  mountains of red and some yellow chilli peppers
18 Just had my best ever eBay sales weekend, selling 32 items.  This was boosted by Rally Sport magazines given to me by one of our rally friends to sell to raise funds for The MS Society.  He also gave me loads of mags called Cars & Car Conversions.  Whilst these latter mags are selling slowly, the entire batch of Rally Sports listed were sold immediately.  So far I have raised £72.81.
19 My sewing machine saw the light of day as Crow needed some extra geocache camouflage bags made up for his trip out tomorrow.  I decided to use up the remaining material and he got 9 bags of various sizes.  Meanwhile, still Table-Topping...
20 As I harvested leeks and chard for dinner, I wondered what on earth I'm going to do with all the jerusalem artichokes which have yet to be dug up.
Harvest:  5 leeks, swiss chard
21 My poor old eyes.  I'm very, very short sighted but now some long-sightedness is kicking in.  (it's my age, you know.)  Can't find the right mode for studying these very detailed maps.  Is it
1) wear my glasses and then remove then to look closely with the map on the end of my nose,
2) wear my glasses and use a magnifying glass, or
3) wear my contact lenses and a pair of reading glasses?
22 I slept very late today (naughty) and then wondered why I only had time for Tesco shopping, chicken tending, dinner making and table-topping.
23 Looks like I've still got 14 eBay sales this weekend and only two of them are Rally magazines.
24 Chopped my raspberry canes down to 6 inches this morning and cleared the greenhouse of tomato supports and string ready for cleaning.
25 My stint at checking the table top rally is done and I'm very relieved, except that it's time for me to start designing the next one.
26 Ron came to do a few jobs for us, one of them being to help me clear out and clean the potting shed.  It's like a new pin now and ready for the start of the growing season.  Perhaps it's time I thought about my garden plan for this year's veg?
27 Result!  For a few months now I've been listing a few items of value on eBay, but only on free listing days.  At last, I've sold two framed pictures that we inherited when we moved here, but are not to our taste.  So, I'm £99 richer this evening.
28 Seem to have largely spent the day cleaning the house.  How boring.  Made a nice leek quiche with spinach for dinner, followed by an apple and date dessert, still using up our stored cooking apples.
Harvest:  2 leeks, spinach
29 Benn out drinking and feasting tonight at a Wine & Dine event at The Barn Brasserie in Great Tey.  It's a beautiful venue where we were treated to a tasting of five different wines with a three course meal:  butternut squash & cumin soup, special sausage & mash with red cabbage and a very delicate & light bread & butter pudding.  Just how we like our food, down to earth but just a bit special at the same time.  Really enjoyed it.
30 The Table Top Rally is in full swing and we've raised over £1700 for charity with still a few cheques to arrive.  Many thanks to all of our supporters!
31 I just knew I would regret it...  Eagerly sat in front of the TV at 08:30 to watch Andy Murray in the Australian Open Final.  Sadly, a very cool, calm and collected Federer made the face pulling, acting and tennis of Murray look pretty poor.  Don't know why I wasted my time.