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He his-self's Blog

February 2009 - Posts

  • Third roof in the Sun

    A bright sunshiny morning and yet another roof gone. Water system now a total loss. Looks like shared baths on Valentines day though, so not all bad. Loss adjuster now knows how to find us too. No livestock lost and only scratched paint on the Dowdeswell plough underneath it. The pressure washer is no more however. Better get a skip in, the clean up starts Monday.
  • Jumping cat

    I thought I would total up the breakages since the snow. They are. A whole shed roof, part of another shed roof(original roof collapse weakened it leading to more damage) A quad bike front disc brake calliper (put on front brake on the hill in the cold and it snapped) A Toyota front indicator lens (lump of frozen snow on road) A whole lot of guttering torn off by snow on roofs. Several burst water pipes and a pump pressure sensor. A damaged trailer. A damaged tractor. 5 tonnes feed lost to snow. And finally a smashed plastic toolchest caused by a panicked cat jumping onto it from the top of the water tank insulation. I had left the lid open, the cat hit it smashing it then fell into the bottom smashing that and spreading spanners and screwdrivers etc everywhere. Poor cat was very embarrassed but undamaged. I will get a new toolbox someday after I have saved up.
  • Tough day

    I am in after a hard day getting the water system sorted out. We finally got supply back to the house at 5pm. One bathroom is still frozen solid. No 2 daughter is upset her usual 45 minute showers have been replaced by a bucket. Loss adjuster has been, seems a down to earth sort. Now all we have to do is rebuild the shed. It was a tough day but we are very fortunate in comparison to those in Australia. A sad sight to see, the devastation caused by those fools who lit the fires is heartbreaking.
  • Good news and bad news

    Good news no more snow, the bad news, it is -14C. Up since 4.30am sorting out the water system so we dont have a water disaster to add to the roof one. Breakfast awaits, smell of bacon and toast, nothing better after a fresh morning start. Updates later.
  • Snow rant

    Today yet more snow but everything going pretty well now. Got the ewes moved to the ring feeder before lunch. The real highlight of the day were the trips to town. I had to go twice once for herselfs shopping and the post and again for No1 sons driving theory test. First I want to be clear that this rant is not aimed at those who have suffered from the snow after being caught by jacknifed lorries and unforecast snowfall. This is aimed at those who know it has snowed and have been stupid anyway. (In no particular order) Farm roads are cleared of snow to allow us to feed stock, they are not a "safe" place to abandon your car. If you do you may find it upside down in the ditch along the road, mysterious things happen to abandoned cars. We are not there to recover your vehicle(not until we get paid anyway) nor are we there to feed you or take you home.The nice long "private" drive you got when you moved to the country is your responsibility. If you want it cleared buy a loadall, they are only about £15k second hand just now. If you do make it out onto the road the fact you spent a vast amount on a 4x4 with an "intelligent" drive system means nothing if you are too stupid to use it properly. It also does not give you the right to all the road, however snowplough drivers will soon educate you. In town, drivers come in many types usually, but when it snows there is only one. Panic stricken. Do not drive at 30mph into an uncleared supermarket car park, when you hit the trolley park, it really is your fault. When you get out of the car please grasp that while your baseball cap and football top combined with shellsuit bottom and trainers shows off your beergut and tattoos to perfection you will freeze to death if your car gets stuck. Similarly the poor child/children unfortunate enough to have you as a parent are already frozen in their teeshirts. How about you get one less pack of fags and buy them a hat coat and gloves. Tip for "Middle class" ladies high heels just don't cope with snow, you can wear wellies it wont kill you. When you get out of the supermarket and return to your S reg Kia or whatever and find it wont move, it is your problem, you put it there, you get it out. Do not look to the nearest warmly dressed 4x4 owner. Owning a 4x4 and a tow rope does not mean I am a mug, you got stuck in a car park you wont die there, if you were in real need I would certainly help you but lets be clear you are in a car park, go buy a shovel. When you drive on snowy roads if you go round blind bends on the wrong side of the road to avoid slush you will eventually meet a Scania coming the other way. Note to council, many farmers round here are threatening to "liberate" the unused snowploughs lying by the salt depot, they have not been used for 8 years, how about you give them to someone who can actually make a difference. Rant over for now, maybe I should go sit down next to a nice log fire.
  • Snow came, roof went.

    Following my brilliant observation of slush in the south we were visited by the Wintersmith. 16ins of level snow, much more in the drifts and blown ridges. So perhaps I will have to be more careful what I say. It is still snowing tonight. Update to follow tomorrow.
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