However, we're not prepared for it here. This cold snap has gone on for about 3-4 weeks and promises to last at least till the end of next week. Grit and salt supplies are running out, and we don't have the snow ploughs to cope with all the snow. Farmers are coming out with tractors and they're using front-loaders to shift the snow off the roads. The big worry is that the snow melts a bit during the day and then freezes into "black ice" at night. With no snow tires and very little experience in driving in icey conditions people are getting into horrible jams. Lorries are jack-knifing up and down the country, cars are ending up in ditches, the railways are having signalling and points trouble and they can't keep the airport runways clear.
Scrappies is closed. Their toilet has frozen and there is no heat in the shop, so it's too cold to shop or work there. Our heating packed up overnight on Monday night when the condensation overflow pipe froze up and water backed up to the boiler. Fortunately, we guessed that might be a problem and poured hot water all over the outside pipes. We got it thawed out and the boiler started working again. We breathed a big sigh of relief because one of our neighbours has no heat and the service people can't get to them till next week!!!!!
John and I are staying in today. Our road has been ploughed, but we're not sure we can make it up the driveway! Tomorrow we'll walk down to the market and get supplies. We had a quick foray into the garden to feed the birds and take pictures and now we're settled inside with glasses of port. I've posted some of my pictures on my Peel Wyke site and a couple here to show you what it looks like.
