Wednesday 13 January 2010

Oh yes, that white stuff... Again

Yes, another day off work…

Our snow has melted overnight into solid ice and black ice. I set off, clinging to walls, fences – you name it. Got to a clear patch where all the snow had been cleared just to discover it was actually black ice. Somehow I managed to turn onto my stomach as I fell and slid down the hill before coming to a stop in the gutter.
I stopped, dazed for a short while wondering how on earth I was going to get out of this large expanse of pure black ice. Eventually I phoned my boyfriend to tell him I was stuck in the middle of ice… Before he got to me I’d crawled on hands and knees to the snow ice and managed to get a grip.

I went straight back home, no way was I venturing out in that!

I phoned in to work and emailed my manager her telling her I was iced in. She suggests I attempt to work from home – fair enough.
Later, she confesses she too is working from home and had pretty much exactly the same story – fell over, slid along on her bum before crawling back home.

We’ve had more snow today, we’ll see if we manage to get into work tomorrow! Could be interesting.

Pete managed to get to work, he must have magic shoes, or the ice/snow was not as slippery, by the time Pete left (he’s working late) it was pointless me attempting to go to work.

More visitors today…

Song Thrush is still with us.




Jay popped in again..



Ooh, a Peanut!




Jenny Wren was around this morning, but didn’t venture close to the house… Taking shots of the Jay and who should I see in the Buddleja??



And off she goes


Yes I did get my work done.

21 comments:

Charlotte Weychan said...

Thank you ... and yes, we're back in the same mess with all the snow here.....

Unknown said...

My goodness sounds like quite a feat getting anywhere with the ice. Hope ya didn't hurt yourself.
Your bird pictures are wonderful - a couple of them I haven't seen before but they were beautiful.

The Quacks of Life said...

can the snow go now please!!

Rebecca @ In The Garden said...

It's awful, isn't it? Even after decades of living through long winters I'm still completely useless at walking on anything slippery and grab anything possible for support. Hope you thaw out soon. :)

Cheryl said...

Hi Liz....glad you are okay after your experience on the ice. It is a nightmare....

The thrush is beautiful....I am very fond of them, they are such gentle birds.

I see jays when I walk Nella but they never visit the garden. Shame because I would love to get a photograph.

The wren is lovely....they are such dinky little birds....and I do love their song....

Lovely photographs....well done...

Roll on spring......

Anonymous said...

Lovely pictures as ever.

I'm just back from an horrendous school run-the white stuff hit us just in time for my return journey.And as it is 16 miles it was appaling.. off to get a stiff drink.

Miranda Bell said...

Hi Liz - at least the snow is good for two things - the chance to take seasonal pics and a good time to catch up on other people's blogs - sorry it's been so long since my last visit... I love those pictures of your wren - they are such a dear little bird... If I were you I'd stay at home in this weather :-) Take care Miranda
ps we've not espcaped the snow here in Brittany either...

Helen/patientgardener said...

I worked at home today and Monday and two days last week - it helps but there is only so much work I can do at home. Have enjoyed watching th birds though

Liz said...

Hi Charlotte,

The snow... Well, I've had enough of talking about it now... All we ever seem to do is moan about the weather :P

Liz said...

Hi Linda,

The ice across the city was terrible yesterday, we have since got a new thin layer of snow, which luckily has stopped the ice… However it still has to melt so snow on top of ice really isn’t the best scenario I could hope for!

My muscles are all pulled… Muscles I didn’t realise I had. I’m now hobbling along like a little old lady.

Liz said...

Hi Pete,

My thoughts exactly! Ours doesn’t look like it’ll be going anywhere today… Great.

Liz said...

Hi Rebecca,

I think the only thing which would’ve kept me on my feet yesterday were crampons… There was no way I was going to stay on my feet…

This morning there was no sign of ice thanks to a fresh layer of snow. Not particularly comforting though since that will have to melt too.

Liz said...

Hi Cheryl,

I hurt today, late last night I began to notice muscles aching. Now I’m in quite a lot, I’ve had to take tablets because even moving my arms hurts – the triceps in particular.

Growing up we always had Song Thrushes, I wish mine would stay and eat all my slugs and snails, but no such luck… I know it will go back to its woodland as soon as everything thaws out.

The Jays don’t often come into the garden, I see them in the Cherry and they then fly over into the Sycamores/apple/other trees. As with most other birds, it’s the snow that’s brought them in.

Wren’s are a favourite of mine, next to Nuttie Nuthatch! :)

Spring cannot come fast enough in my opinion. I wonder how my little Snowdrops are doing hidden under the ice/snow. I do hope they’re ok!

Liz said...

Hi Julie,

Ouch I don’t envy your school run! 16 miles!!!

Hopefully this is the last of it all… It’s beginning to feel like it’s never going to end. Each time you think it is, it snows again!

Nutty Gnome said...

Hope you're not feeling too battered and bruised after your fall yesterday?

It was a nightmare here too - even the Land Rover slid at one point and I stuggle to get it back up the drive last night ...mind you, it was about 90 feet uphill in reverse!

The school we're working in today isn't opening until 10.30 but I doubt if the freezing fog will have gone by then!

Even I ,a confirmed snow lover, am begining to get a bit fed up of it all now - and I never thought I'd hear myself say that!!!

Take care of yourself, get some arnica on your bruises, some tiger balm on your achey bits and try some very gentle stretches to unknot the muscles.

Liz said...

Hi Miranda,

I enjoy snow and usually get very excited… I just don’t enjoy it when it causes quite so many problems as it has been. And just when it was finally melting, the temperatures drop further and ice it over. There were lots of reported accidents yesterday in the ice, with the entire city being hit by it… A&E at the hospitals were calling for people not to come for falls unless otherwise serious because they had so many people going in!

When I saw someone going past my house holding onto all the walls I should’ve said to myself to just stay in the house… Sometimes I’m too loyal to my job and put myself through things I really shouldn’t.

Liz said...

Hi Helen,

Same here Helen, it’s also much slower working from home because I can’t print off and working on a laptop the screens are not as large so I was having difficulty viewing the entire screen on Excel and Access… Eventually I used Pete’s PC when he went to work and it was much quicker, but still remote desktopping is slow work… And frustrating. A job which would normally take me an hour or two took me most of the afternoon (in between watching the birds, of course!)

Liz said...

Hi Liz,

I’m feeling like an old lady today… I’m trying my hardest not to move in my chair/the office because getting up and down is particularly painful – my left thigh and buttock hurt. I have to sit/stand like a heavily pregnant woman would… Very carefully!

I’ve done some tricep and arm stretches. I may hobble to the toilets and do some thigh/glutes stretches too. Sorry, I don’t have any of your oils you mention to rub on the muscles…

Have fun today – if the school opens! I too am a snow lover – honest! Normally I’m sad that our snow only lasts a day or two and always dream of staying in our Cottage in Scotland over Christmas with all the snow, but this has caused so many nightmares and chaos it’s been very difficult to enjoy it.

Hmmm I had crazy dreams last night, I think I was really wound up about venturing out in the snow again, guess that shows how scared I was of yet another day of chaos, falling, soldiering on! Ha ha.

Can someone please wave a magic wand and make it all disappear tomorrow morning please? Or even now would be great!! :D

ShySongbird said...

Just catching up with some of the posts I have missed due to my sight problems, (it seems to be deteriorating daily :( ) lovely to see the Jay, I haven't seen one for years and never in my garden. Well done with the photos, it is so difficult in this weather and I can barely distinguish one bird from another through the viewfinder now which doesn't help at all!

Poor you, falling on the ice, you were very brave to risk it in the first place, even as a child I was petrified of slipping!

Hopefully we will all get the promised thaw at the weekend...at last :)

Kate/High Altitude Gardening said...

Fingers crossed for a quick thaw. The birdie pics are very pretty. I hope you and your boss can reach an agreement to stay toasty warm and in your homes until this odd weather pattern goes away for good.

Kyna said...

Love the bird pics!

That jay with the cool light blue wing tips is so neat! :D