Lights Out

Went out to finish off the Christmas food shopping tonight and spotted a car parked on our street with it's headlights on. 2 hours later when I came back it's lights were still on - that battery wasn't going to last long in subzero temperatures. I didn't recognise it as being one of the neighbours cars, so I tried the flat over the road - not theirs either.
The next door neighbour reckoned the car probably belonged to somebody at one of the restaurants we live near to. I tried the Indian restaurant first - only 4 couples dining in there, so a quick word with the owner and he checked around the customers - didn't belong to anyone in there.
The Thai restaurant next door immediately recognised my description of the car - it belonged to the Chef - so good deed done.
We've got a table booked in the Thai restaurant in a couple of weeks time - the manager of the restaurant said that he'd look out for us.

Snow Photos

Took the sledge out to the park first thing this morning - absolutely knackered myself dragging 2 boys up to the park on it, having said that the exertion didn't half warm me up. Lost my car keys when pushing the boys down the slope, but a fellow tobogganist found them for me.
Samwise was feeling the cold (i.e. snivelling and bawling), so we headed home. Picked up a camera when I took Frodo out for his riding lesson, and took a few photos on the way, and via the park on the way back. The statue is the figure of winter herself, at four seasons gate (one of these days I'll take a shot of the other three statues at the appropriate time of year).

Snow Report

We have about 2 or 3 inches of snow, thick soggy snow. Started snowing at about 19:30 tonight and stopped around 22:00.
Novelist Supermum was out at a Christmas do in a Restaurant on Allerton Road - a 10 minute walk away, so I went out to meet her when it finished and then walk back home.
Absolute chaos - snow missiles hurtling around everywhere and lots of drunk people slipping over in the middle of the road.

We Have Snow!

Not a lot of it, but snow all the same. About 1cm fell last night. Enough for a snowball fight with the Hobbits before taking them to school this morning.
Not deep enough for the new sledge yet, however Frodo had a sledge like experience at his adventure playground, when I went to pick him up he was enjoying sliding down an icy hill on a large tarpaulin.

Winter Wonderland - Snow Day

I did my bit for community safety in todays inclement weather (worst snowfall for 30 years), and spread about 4 buckets of grit on the icy paths around our house, the route to the local post box, and near the local library and recycling bins. The public grit bin was about three quarters full afterwards.
One of the local restaurants and the pet shop also spread few shovelfuls about until a chap turned up in a British Gas van and swiped about 3 or 4 sackfuls, virtually emptying the bin in one fell swoop. He mumbled something about his mothers drive. With grit in short supply this got me wondering about how big his mothers drive is, how many grit bins he's visited in the area, and if British Gas know what he's using their van for?

First day back at school for Frodo and Samwise. The teachers decided to take a snow day and tried to close the school for the afternoon. Most parents didn't get the message, and picked up their kids at the usual time. It will definitely be completely shut tomorrow.

Rather than risk taking the car to pick them up, I walked up to the school, with a pair of wellies in a bag for each of them, and we returned via the park.

Introduced Frodo to the avalanche dangers of standing under a snow laden tree, whilst your companions are armed with snowballs!

Returned home to build a mutant snowman in the back garden.



You can see Frodo in the bottom right corner of the above photo demonstrating the effectiveness of snow camouflage.




Also see impworks snowfall 2 - the return of the white stuff

Christmas Eve 2009

There's a blanket of snow outside in the early hours of Christmas Eve - looks very festiwe.

New Years Eve - Snow

It's been a foggy New Years Eve today.

Got back a little early from work to find that it's been snowing all day, but only in a square mile or so around our house.

Samwise said that he'd wished for Snow at Christmas, so I guess that he's got his Christmas Wish. Slightly late, but close enough, and just for him, as the rest of the city appears to be frozen, but doesn't have snow!

Snow Day

Thin coating of snow on the ground this morning. Enough to scrape some snow up, and make snowballs. Frodo was late for school this morning because Daddy was teaching him the rudiments of snowball fighting. Samwise was looking out of his bedroom window, so we lobbed a few at him - which he seemed to enjoy.

All melted away now. Novelist Supermum took a couple of photos from the living room window: