Here we go again.

[richard p]

we had rain yesterday, then couple of inches of snow overnight.... made the roads interesting this morning.... b roads have been gritted and are brown but everywhere else is white.... been snowing off and on during the morning.... bit of a thaw mid day when the sun shone briefly.... secondary school was open, but none of the buses running and the school has now closed and sent the idiots who bothered to go home again, kids have been moaning all week that theyre bored cos the theyre not actually doing anything useful in any of the lessons. to be honest its got to the state that if we look out the window and theyres any snow at all the school buses wont be running , all its doing is teaching the kids that the country shuts at the first sight of a snowflake... we could get the kids to school but most of the pupils and half the teachers wont be there.... so they may as well work at home...... reminds me i was promised mince pies if i let daughter stay home today... must get the big stick out

[glallotments]

We had hail sleet and snow yesterday but not enough to settle. The temperature dropped like a stone at about 9:30 a.m yesterday from 8C to 2C in a matter of minutes.

It was dry and bright this morning but becoming duller now and -0.8C

[PLUMPUDDING]

We had an inch of snow yesterday and it hasn't got above minus 2C today. The roads and pavements are extremely icy.

I've just had to get the extension cable out and my hair dryer to unfreeze the greenhouse door as it was frozen solid. It was minus 2 in there and had been down to -5C last night.

While I was looking round the garden I found a clear fox track across my lawn and up and down one of the paths, so I've done a double check on the hen run and hut when I put them to bed- hope they are OK.

With the forecast for more deep snow and even colder it looks like were in for a really bad winter.

[Elle's Garden]

Dear Elle, they both must have been froze through!

Hope you didn't tell them, you had been standing in the warm watching it.

I might have mentioned it, once or twice...

When I took my youngest son to his church service this morning the car was glazed and snow topped just like Peter said, glazed being just the right word! The churchyard had a festive dusting of white stuff so it was nice for the children. Sadly I am not feeling much in the mood anymore as my brother passed away very suddenly on Wednesday. Still, will put on a brave face next week for the children. They get you through most things.

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Elle, so sorry to read your bad news about your Brother.
Life does seem pretty unfair at times.

[glallotments]

I'm sorry too to hear your sad news - it is a horrible shock when something like that happens - hope you are coping.

[Nature's Babe]

Elle, so sorry to hear about your brother, especially poignant near christmas,
I lost my father in similar proximity to christmas. Let your feelings take their natural course and don't feel guilty if you can't feel festive, the children will understand, sometimes they are wiser than we are.

[glallotments]

A light covering today but -3.1 at the moment so I guess it will stay like that

[Elle's Garden]

Thank your for your sympathy guys, people are very kind.

We had a good 6 inches or so of snow in about 3 hours yesterday morning, straight on top of all the ice. I think we may be due more tomorrow?

[peter]

No more snow here today.

However even the A120 resembles a cart track with the central and side high spots made of dirty slush which will probably set to crunchy overnight.

At least I'm not in same boat as my colleague at work who I giive a lift to in bad weather.
Her boiler broke on Thursday, fixed on Friday but only for two hours, worked on on Saturday without success, engineer due again tomorrow.

[Primrose]

Elle - so sorry about your brother. It's particularly rough on you all happening just before Christmas and I imagine however hard you try to be cheerful for your children, Christmas day will be sad for you and all his family, especially with a funeral to have to contend with.

[Elle's Garden]

Thank you Primrose, it was all very sad. He had kidney failure and his wife very generously donated one of her own kidneys in a very successful operation about 2 months ago. Everything was going really well when tragically he suffered a post op embolism in his heart which is apparently quite common. There is a comfort in the knowledge that nothing could be done, but so tragic after all they had been through. I am lucky enough to have children and as you say, they do keep you going, they made a choice not to have children (I think health issues were part of that) and of course now she is alone. It is a desperately sad situation but I am fortunate that I live next door to my parents and can be there for them now.

We spent an interesting day today beating on a friends shoot - snow all day! But at least the fact it was snowing meant that the temperature was warmer than the -9 that we set out to!

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Elle, i think you are so positive, and also very brave, a very special person indeed.

[Elle's Garden]

Well I am not at all sure about that, and I don't feel at all brave - but thanks OH, you always lift my spirits - a very dear chap yourself!