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| a laura Ashley stiffy |
This morning it took me at least five minutes of heavy chopping to break the icy on the water butts and Pat and Joanne, out for their morning dog walk, said it hadn't felt this cold since the last terrible winter of 1982!
The birds are doing ok. The extra feed I had "hidden " away in their hen houses last night has given most of them a head start with the cold and only the more delicate Ghost hens are feeling the pressure this morning. Joanne kindly left a small pressie of bread and scraps out for me, and I fed the ghosts with the treats inside their coop to get them going.
We left a throw out on the patio last night and it was hard as concrete this morning.....I stood the whole thing up against the wall as if it was a sheet of glass.
Yesterday afternoon Chris and Janet went to see the Live broadcast of the Bolshoi's Nutcracker down at The Scala. I managed to make it down to see the second act but I wasn't really impressed with what I thought was a rather "safe" production....sure the corps de ballet was stunningly precise..but the male lead had a bouffant 1980's mullet and the principle ballerina had buck teeth....so some of the magic of fantasy of Christmas was lost on me!
Now dont fret readers.....even with the social washout that was the weekend...I have pulled myself up by my thermal underpants and got into the Christmas spirit. I delivered Auntie Glads pressie ( to those that dont know "Auntie Glad is a bit of a village celebrity who has been on the flower show and Village welfare committees or over 58 years- a diminutive and white haired 90 year old she remains a powerhouse in village affairs and is loved and respected by all) Anyhow, she had baked me a huge box of home made mince pies and scones for us, which I will add to the food parcles we are taking up to my brother's house on Christmas day.
I have dropped some more Christmas cards off , then called in with some spare scones and home made picked onions to Mrs Hopkins ( remember the lady who had knitted me my mittens?) she had been out feeding the birds in her garden and had fallen, breaking her ankle badly....
another casualty of this freezing weather!
Mind you, not everything has come to a standstill (unlike the post, which has not turned up for two days)...Gentleman farmer and Islwyn from the village, has taken a leaf from David Cameron's teachings on the "big society" and got off their arses to clear the lane of ice.........we will never see a council gritter on these minor roads
Right, I have now drank two hot cups of coffee and feel a little more human. I will curb the urge to stay in the warmth to watch the John Wayne epic The Magnificent Showman, which has a morning showing on BBC2....the dogs need a walk and the birds need more feed collecting!
I will leave you a cartoon for Tracey.....it's the kind of thing she likes!
I remember going out with a contraption on my head made out of a wire coat hanger, wrapped in tinsel, the hook at the front of my head with mistletoe hanging from it (must have looked a bit like the Blue Peter advent wreath!). Theres nowt wrong with a proper snog! xxx
ReplyDelete>Right, I have now drank two hot cups of coffee and feel a little more human.
ReplyDeleteGo on, have a third cup John. Then you'll perhaps look human, too.
Oh I'm such a cheeky imp.
-8.5 here last night. In the shade.
Nx
I like the mistletoe in any position!
ReplyDeleteWe have freezing fog & -7.....proper blue ball weather. xxx
Brrr! Minus ten is pretty cold when it's in celsius! Even colder when it's in fahrenheit! My lady went nordic skiing once when it was minus thirty degrees F. and her long braid of hair froze.
ReplyDeleteThat Laura Ashley "stiffy" made my lady laugh. I hope that the lovely mitten-lady gets well soon. Many kisses! xxxxx oooo
I do hope Mrs. Hopkins heals well and quickly.
ReplyDeleteHaha. I thought your Laura Ashley was the beginnings of your scarecrow!
I thought the post office motto was 'Neither rain nor snow....'
Apparently not!
Have a great week, all of you!
Afternoon John G.
ReplyDeleteAh minus ten?, Just done the last two night shifts of the year and outside the factory 'twas minus fifteen and not that much warmer inside as apparently having two engineers on site does not constitute a need for heating, oh I really hope that Mr. Cook was warm in his bed last night.
Hope that your keeping warm my good fellow.
Seasons greeting,
John, still cold, W
John - I enjoy your posts about life in Trelawnyd (although I am at a complete loss as to how to pronounce it). I am going to start eating "nibbles" immediately as they sound much less fattening than what I have been eating. And quite frankly, I will hang my mistletoe where I see fit...
ReplyDeleteThat's cold, alright. Is that normal or average or kissing any records? For some dumb reason, I was under the impression it was more temperate than that there.
ReplyDeleteI think of all your birds and think how cold they must be!
I too, thought the afghan was a sort of attempt to frighten the starlings, on first glance.
Well, you got to see some of the ballet! Better than a kick in the pants - right?
Reading your blog this morning was very enlighening.. to the weather in your country. My grandaughter has been stranded in Heathrow airport for 3 days now.. She is 21 years old..She wants to be home for Christmas so bad..This adventure will be a time in her life she will always remember.
ReplyDeleteShe has been in Rome Italy for 4 months doing her internship for Iowa State University for her senior year.
Enjoy reading your blog and love hearing about your country and the people that live close to you..
ta ta for now from Iowa
can't IMAGINE that kind of cold! good deal on the Christmas spirit and cool to see someone still does Christmas cards!
ReplyDeleteWHen it gets really cold here (-20 to -30C or worse), I make my chickens hot oatmeal. They go nuts for it.
ReplyDeleteHope your weather improves soon! And I love the mistletoe instructions.
that truly is a Tracey cartoon......
ReplyDeleteIt's nippy cold over here at the moment, but at least it's not windy.
Gill in Canada
The image of the infamous mullet! Hilarious. There are still a few guys around here who have them. Personally I think they have always been ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteMinus 10! Brrrrrrr.
Sounds like you have also been trying to get in to the spirit of the holiday. Been having trouble with it too this year.
Stay warm my friend. xoxo
Oh, please do tell Mrs. Hopkins that she is in my prayers for a speedy recovery! What a thoughtful woman to have made you those cozy mittens.
ReplyDeleteI hope all of your birds make it through the cold spell!
Now, I better go feed MINE!
Buck up, John, you're on the top side of the flower bed and living large! One of my favorite photos is of my frozen wash on the line, swaying in the wind. I had to be easy taking the wash off the line or, I'm sure, the clothes would have broken in half.
ReplyDeleteThe wind chill at home has been below zero F but a bit warmer in Richmond...thank God.
Tucking Mrs. H. into prayer; it's always harder healing as we age and I'm loathe, anyway, to give up a moment of up time.
Dear John,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Dominic. My Dad is Hippo, Angola Tom.
I really like reading your blog. I find it very interesting.
Today, Daddy showed me your Cucurrucucu Paloma post and I am begging Daddy to buy the movie. Right or wrong, I think I have got the story in my head and I really like the music. Romantic. Daddy wishes he could sing like that.
I like your stories about your animals and I really like Constance. I really like all your animals.
I really liked seeing Constance watching TV and saying ‘what’s so funny ‘ and then ‘Whatever’.
I have only seen snow once when Daddy took us to Germany and we went skiing. I would like to go to Wales to meet you and all your animals and have fun in the mountains because from all your pictures and stories it looks nice from my point of view. Daddy says he has been to Wales with his dad in the Army and really liked it.
Have a Merry Christmas,
Regards
Dominic
John,
ReplyDeleteDominic really likes your blog.
He is eleven and English is his second language.
I don't get to see him as often as I would like, his mother and I being estranged, but reading your blog together has become a bit of a ritual. We have now put together our midnight snacks, the laptop is fully charged so I am about to knock off the generator and we will watch the 'Great Escape' together while munching cheesy snacks and swatting mosquitos, Dominic no doubt dreaming of Welsh snow and all your little animals.
Laura Ashley never gave me a stiffy and Laura Bush never gave George W one...
ReplyDeleteHey John--minus 10!!! Ouch. We've had house guests here that haven't been able to leave because they can't get over the infamous Donner Pass to get home. (That's the pass where the pioneer Donner party got snowed in, trapped, and purportedly ate each other as they died.) I think this winter may be be one for the record books in both Europe and the U.S.!
ReplyDeleteI've been buried with festivities so haven't been able to comment much but I love checking in every few days and catching up on all your posts. You truly are a delight to read y'know. :-)
My prayers for Mrs. Hopkins' speedy recovery!!!!
xoxoxo Dia
I know to us Brits -10 is disasterously cold....but to you americans and canadians ( and Ina in Alaska) I KNOW its nothing!!!
ReplyDeleteDominic
I is lovely to have you aboard!
you are MY YOUNGEST reader
Thank you for reading!!!!
(Note to self: watch my language!!!)
PUD: CLASSIC!!!
dia: Iloved the story about the Donner party! read it as a child and it scared me sh*tless!!
30C+ here and we will be sitting outside in the warmth of a daylight saving time evening, dining on fresh Tiger prawns, coleslaw and soft bread rolls! LOL!.
ReplyDeleteI will try to organise a photo for my blog.