UK Snow

Everyone moans about snow in the UK! How the country grinds to a halt! The airports can't run fully, the roads aren't gritted, the schools are shut etc etc.



It really really annoys me. When I was a youngster, we used to regularly, well more often than we do now, get snow in winter. People just got on with it. Schools where never shut, playgrounds had icy slides the children had made. Health and Safety was not heard of. Mums where at home in case of any accidents and life was brill!



Now the counties run out of salt for gritting the roads, and that's after a couple of days of snow. I came home from Swindon on a sheet of glass, last night, as no one had gritted. I passed a young girl of about T's age who had pulled in and probably had no idea how to drive in such treacherous conditions. Well we don't need to teach them how too as these conditions so rarely happen!



Buses don't run because its too dangerous, but what they really worry about is someone suing them for Health & Safety reasons because something is wet, icy or just to darn slippy!



Sadly a young girl was killed sledging yesterday, no doubt some silly law will come in to stop children sledging! We have to take some risks otherwise where is the fun in life.



Other countries cope! Yes they do but then they have snow falls most winters and so have all the equipment. I would go out and buy chains for tyres, special boots for walking, I would pay for my girls to learn to skid too, if I knew this was going to be a regular occurrence.



So stop moaning UK, take your time, walk slowly, drive slowly and enjoy this very rare occurrence!

Rant over!!!

The whole, yes the WHOLE of my house is going to be cleaned! All my carpets cleaned, curtains, duvets, pillows, walls, ceilings, suites, lamps, you name it, it will be cleaned, because of smoke damage! If the carpet in the lounge and in fact the walls and ceiling don't clean up well enough I will get a new carpet and be redecorated!!

Now I didn't think it was quite that bad but it is! Excellent says I, thinking I won't need to clean the house before my party........ WRONG

This is the culprit



my chimney needs to be reboarded



and it can't be done in time, hrmph. So instead I will get it all spring cleaned afterwards!!

Floods

What I am about to show you is unprecedented!



20 years we have lived here and the stream and I do mean stream has risen and fallen with in its banks but never done this!



I had to go out and take pics.The stream normally runs under the bridge here, between the post in the middle of the pic and the large tree trunk on the left so as you can see quite small.



It was cold and wet and rising..



the football floating past comes from the farm about half a mile up the road!




I let the farmer know about his bulls. but this guy hates us so much he will probably think I am winding him up.

My neighbours garden to the right of the lane



and the bottom of my good friends and neighbours to the left of the lane



there compost bins where awash! Their chickens are alot further up the garden which is very sodden.

This is the view from my bedroom window.

Things

My Cats rely very much on what I give them although Tango does supplement his diet with the odd rat or two!
During the winter they spend alot of time indoors, in fact, apart from Tango the majority of their time is spent sleeping and eating! Because of this I have to change there food so they are now on this......



I usually buy 15Kg bags but for some unknown reason the Pet shop couldn't get hold of them so I have 2 5kg instead!

Sassy is looking very beautiful in this pic...



but viewed from the rear , we can see she is abit rotund!



and when in the sleeping position



we see a few more lumps and bumps!

Tango on the other hand is a lean, fighting machine that talks alot!



You can see in this pic as he walks towards me he is talking. But there is not a mean streak in him. When ever he enters a room no matter what time of the day or night he announces his arrival!!!
He loves to snuggle me especially after he has eaten Ratty and breathe rat breath all over me, which I'm sure if you where a lady cat is quite a pleasant aroma but for me it is revolting!!



I think if we hadn't had him neutered he would be a bit of Casanova!

Jake on the other hand, is just Jake!



When they where handing out brains he was definitely at the end of the line. He lives on his nerves! But is popping outside more but also returns at great speed! we have to leave the curtains by the cat flap open so he can't ambush Sassy. I have moved the Feliway to the landing and recently we have had no major spats!

Plus today we have lived in our house for exactly 20 years!

This is what it looked like when we bought it

Front:-



Back


and the Rateable Value was £76!!!!!!!

We moved from here



this had a rateable value of £307!