A storm & Mrs Jones' arteries

I knew we were in for some bad weather from the north today, but the severity of the storm that whipped in from the sea caught me a little by surprise.
Sheltered in the lee of Gop Hill most of Trelawnyd had been sheltered from the worst of the wind, sleet and snow, but we, on the Northern tip of the village got caught in the direct blast from up the valley.
It has been a while since I have seen purely horizontal rain, and looking a little like Dorothy Lamour from The Hurricane, I battled around the field for a while trying manfully to save my polytunnel and cloches that had all been ripped from their moorings, and had been blown into the churchyard.
The turkey poults had taken shelter in their robust house, but after a particularly strong gust of wind, I heard a bang, and the whole house was blown onto it's roof with all the birds shrieking and calling inside.

Luckily all four turkeys were fine when I got to them as was Mary the bantam and Kate Winslett, a buff, who was sheltering with them. The coop itself, was damaged, and the roof "door" was ripped off completely. It has taken me an age, in the freezing sleet and snow to repair it . (No photos I am afraid...my camera batteries are being recharged!)
The bad weather coupled with unusually high tides have caused chaos all over the North Wales coast. In Llandulas, residents have been evacuated from the Promenade area as the sea has burst into their houses so I can't really complain even after my polytunnel sailed majestically over the gravestones!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/8597110.stm

The village seemed completely deserted when I took the dogs to deliver some eggs, but I wasn't surprised when I bumped into sprightly Mrs Jones, braving the elements on her way to the post office. In her late seventies ( or perhaps older) Mrs Jones, with her sing-song Welsh accent and big smile is always a joy to bump into. A retired farmer's wife, she calles down to the field regularly for eggs and a chat about the animals, and knowing that I am a nurse, I always get to hear about the problems she experiences with the "arteries in her head".......a condition that constantly baffles me to this day. I am always careful not to give advice about confusing symptoms like "problem arteries", but I never worry about giving her a bit of sympathy! even in the sleet and snow.

Tonight we are off to see a screened performance of the Bolshoi Ballet in The Flames Of Paris, let's hope the heating is back on in the Scala