DELIVERIES - March 2016

This one's for Rich & Sarah who are clearly suffering from a bad case of 'blog withdrawal!


You will know by now that we live on a very narrow lane and that it doesn't take much to block it

We have witnessed some unique ways to remove blockages, like this builder whose ladder was blocking our way through 

Often it's us blocking the way and we have become experts at reversing long distances along bendy narrow lanes. In this case we pulled into a small passing place to let this rather large road sweeper past - yes, a road sweepers along our clean rural lanes.

Regardless of the width of roads, drivers still need to get to destinations to get jobs done. This highway maintenance lorry somehow squeezed between our neighbours' buildings.

And just like any other place, we need deliveries. However, our 'narrow access' instructions rarely find their way to the drivers.

One Christmas we received a Tesco delivery from the bravest of drivers in the largest of lorries. A young female driver, who somehow managed to drive the lorry up our drive in the dark where she found herself in our turning circle with only 2 inches to spare in front and behind. Amazingly, with instructions from Will and a 52 point turn, she escaped!

Then very recently, a relatively small package arrived in a massive lorry ...

The driver had had an adventure trying to get to us, and after great perseverance refused to go back the way he had come, despite our warnings of the alternative being narrower & steeper with overhanging trees and a very tight corner. However, as there was nowhere to turn around, he felt it was the best option.

So off he went, only to get stuck at the tight corner. The solution? Will had to attach a tow rope to the back end of the lorry and pull it around until the front end was pointing in the right direction.

Somehow they managed it!!

But there was no room on the road for his passenger to get back in the lorry, so he had to follow with Will.

The driver just went for it. But ooops, the trees fought back and gouged a metre long piece from the top side of the lorry  ...

As the driver pointed out - their slogan describes the experience very well ...

Next blog - A further blockage

I'M BACK! - July 2016

For several months I have been unable to get onto my blog for unknown reasons.


And it will come as no surprise to you, that after all this time of me unsuccessfully trying to fathom out what has happened and how to get back onto it, the younger generation has come along and sorted it in about 30 seconds!

So hopefully I'll be back with further tales of the unexpected soon.




Next blog - Deliveries

DID IT FREEZE OVER? - Jan 2016

So . . . Yes it froze over!

Did I notice? No - not until I was on my bum, sliding at a rate of knots down the log flume, with a bewildered looking dog on the other end of the lead!

Having notice no drop in temperature when I set out, I took the dog for her usual morning walk. We turned the corner at the top of the log flume onto what looked like the usual wet tarmac . . . And . . . Whoosh!  Suddenly there we were - Bambi & Thumper.

It wasn't until I unsuccessfully tried to stand up that I realised why I'd fallen over. It was sheet black ice.

My only way back onto my feet was to crawl back onto dry tarmac at the top. I was somewhat relieved that there were only sheep around, to watch my antics!

As I write, Storm Jonas which plunged the East coast of America into Arctic conditions, has just arrived - in the form of Storm Gertrude  ... and more torrential rain.




Next blog - Deliveries

WILL THE RAIN EVER STOP? - Jan 2016

Happy New Year to you all!


Well the rain has continued to pour every day. I have given up trying to get out along our lane in one direction in my little car, due to the flood which gets deeper and longer by the day.

The lane

Fortunately we can go the other way along the lane. However, it is very steep and resembles a log flume!

Looking up the log flume

Two days ago we had an amazing 18 hours without rain and the flood disappeared, only to return again with the rain.


Then the temperatures dropped and the rain turned to sleet. with a fair amount of sunshine at last, giving us spectacular views across to Snowdonia.

The flood has gone, but the log flume continues to flow. Meanwhile sub-zero temperatures are forecast.

It's going to be pretty scary if the log flume freezes over!



Next blog - Did it freeze over?

ANOTHER UNEXPECTED GUEST - Dec 2015

Well, apart from ripping two gates off their hinges, Storm Frank was relatively uneventful.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Looking back through my blog, I notice that back in 2013 we received several unexpected visitors. This year has produced a new influx of guests ...

To begin with, a wren visited and was found stranded in the bathroom.

Then we noticed evidence of mice when I went to find a roll of food recycling bags from under the sink.

Two of our cats sadly died earlier in the year, and the 3rd is clearly doing a poor job of keeping away vermin.

The mouse has climbed kitchen shelves, bypassing boxes of cereal,

 bags of flour and biscuits,

to get its paws on and into a packet of Bombay Mix from the very top shelf!

Our mouse is clearly very choosy!

Very recently, a young wild goat had become separated from the herd and found itself in our garden confronted by the dog.

They had a very very long face-off,

before the dog chased it away, and into the lounge.

The goat took up residency on Will's chair where another face-off continued. If the dog came too close, the goat stamped a foot, causing the dog to pirouette, before returning to repeat the performance over and over again until we took charge and chased it out.



Next blog - Will the rain ever stop?

THE WILD WEATHER CONTINUES - Dec 2015

Throughout summer and into November, our garden table & chairs have been happily positioned on this bit of lawn between the mountains/fields and our house.

But the arrival of Storm Desmond put an end to that! 

It succeeded in flattening all the chairs exactly where they had been situated . . .

But the heavy wooden table had completely disappeared! We eventually found it unceremoniously dumped in a tree down a bank!!

VERY STRANGE!!

Other than that, Desmond arrived and departed, leaving little evidence of his being nearby other than raging streams and rivers and waterlogged fields.


A week or so later, Storm Eva blew in, bringing with her more continuous torrential rain and further destruction around other parts of Britain. With the ground already at saturation point, there were several localised floods nearby and our lane was awash. 

The neighbour's drive almost disappeared . . .

And on what was supposed to be a relaxing Boxing Day, I noticed puddles in a recently renovated part of the house. There was no evidence to tell us where it had appeared from. The ceiling was dry. It had not come in through the door. Most of the water was along internal walls which backed against earth (as we are built into the hillside), so we deducted it was coming through the floors & walls.

In what seemed like no time at all, we were standing in water splashing around our feet. We managed to move most of the furniture out in time. And at least the water was clean - no sewerage like in the flooded towns in Northern England..

And as fast as we tried to sweep it out, the faster it poured in.

In the end, we built a little dam and directed the water through a hose to the outside. This seemed to work and when the rain eventually stopped, the water level subsided.

As I write, we are waiting for the damp floor & walls to dry out.



But tomorrow, Storm Frank is due!!





Next blog - Another unexpected guest

MORE STORMS - Nov 2015

So we had storm after storm after storm - Abigail, Barney, Clodagh (didn't hear much about her!) and Desmond all in quick succession. 

And reminiscent of the 70s, we had power cut after power cut after power cut!

We don't realise how reliant we are on electrical power until we can't get it! But thanks to a few candles and a log burner we were warm and cosy. And the longest power cut was improved with jacket potatoes cooked in the log burner, and baked beans warmed on top. Baked potatoes never tasted better!

For a very short while the rain subsided, and Snowdonia had snow . . .

And then Eva struck!





Next blog - The wild weather continues