SNOWBOUND....!
Nothing happening here right now due to being snowbound since Tuesday, courtesy of 'The Beast from the East'. No mail delivery since then - so the parts I ordered have no chance of showing up till there's been a substantial thaw and the roads begin to become passable again. That may take a while yet considering the local authorities are concentrating most of their manpower and snow plow resources to keeping the main A1 route open. Plowing roads here in Northumberland's boonies must be way down their list of priorities.
Here we have to rely on local farmers plowing roads with their tractors - but that presents its own problems in that the snow they clear from the road surface ends up being piled 4-5 feet high at the roadsides. Plowed single-track roads in this neck of the woods end up looking more like bob-sleigh tracks with high banked sides. Nightmare when on-coming vehicles meet and there's nowhere to manouvre. Today (Sat) we still have 3ft snow drifts covering our entire driveway. Car is well and truly blocked in the garage. And even if/when I could get it out, I'd have a tough job shoveling through the 5 ft wall of compacted snow and ice blocking off my driveway entrance, left behind after the last plowing attempt a couple of days ago.
Other than a few light snow flurries yesterday, things seemed to have settled down - but it's snowing again today and temps are minus 6, so not even the remotest sign of a thaw anytime soon.
Ran out of milk/bread and most other foodstuffs on Wednesday. Now getting by on the contents of our freezer. Food-wise, it wouldn't make a difference even if I could get to the local store - they haven't had any deliveries this last week so their shelves are empty. Thank goodness we haven't had to deal with any power cuts - that would put us in real trouble, being entirely dependent on electricity for heating/cooking. I have a camping stove ready if the worst should happen.
We're not alone here. This is a nationwide event. Worst since 2010 - which, it has to be said, was far worse. The UK has been ground to a standstill for 5 days since Tues, during which red weather warnings - the highest threat level - were issued . Only the foolhardy have ventured out during that time, with most airports/railways/schools and many businesses shut down. Umpteen stories of stranded motorists and travelers - even on the UK's major roads - have dominated the news.
US folks, used to dealing with (and coping with) far greater levels of snow, on seeing the BBC's news coverage of these events are probably wondering how a country's transport infrastructure grinds to a halt in what appears to be relatively little snow? Probably because hardly anyone here drives a truck. Or has even heard of snow chains. And our attitude to snow fighting, following three years of almost snow-free winters, is generally, 'Don't worry about it. It'll probably never happen'.
I recall staying with a pal's family in Brattleboro, Vermont every January between 1999-2013 and in his barn was a tracked excavator, loader/backhoe, a truck fitted with its own plow and three skidoos. All for personal use plowing-out the mountain road up to his place and bringing back supplies. Talk about being prepared!!! To a Brit, that just seemed unreal. Anywhere here in the UK, that would be enough hardware to run a business (lol).
Gotta go be creative and prepare lunch. Buttered cream crackers. Yum...