Strange drive clearing behaviour

[Arch]

Let her eat cake.

Our local T****s was out of bread, but had plenty of the ingredients for breadmaking. Nothing can beat the smell of a freshly home baked loaf.

You've clearly never heard the tales of my mother and breadmaking. She's a good cook, brilliant at cakes and pastry, but bread... Tends to turn out like bricks. She gave up trying.

Eventually, wooed by the reccomendations of friends, she bought a breadmaker.

It blew up.

 

[Norm]

Eventually, wooed by the reccomendations of friends, she bought a breadmaker.

It blew up.

Sorry for the schadenfreude, Arch, but

 

[fossyant]

TBH - myself and two neighbours cleared the road yesterday (we live in a cul-de-sac at the top of a hill) as once the stuff get's compressed, it turns to ice, and no-one can get up. Clearing it was pretty quick, and this morning we had another 2 inches, and this was easily cleared with home-made snow shovels (broom handle and a big piece of MDF) then we were lucky to get the grit bin topped up, so a sprinkle has made the road passable.

We've cleared maybe 300 yards. Some of the neighbours are chuffin lazy though.....

 

[GrasB]

Some of the neighbours are chuffin lazy though.....

Talking of lazy... as an IT admin I spent the afternoon clearing the paths around work along with a random selection of students (it's interesting that PhD students are always willing to help someone doing something useful!). Only to get one of our more self important professors to come out & tell us it's good someone's doing that. I asked him if he could fill the salt hopper up & he replied "oh no, that sort of thing is beneath someone of my standing", I retort with "but what about when you're sitting" with a puzzled look he replied "I'll be working when I'm at my desk", my helper at the time giggled as he walked off.

 

[snapper_37]

Gratuitous excuse to post pix of me having a good time. In the fifth image, you can see how far our clearing had got.

Soooo sexy



The bike that is Very nice Norm!!

 

[gbb]

I'm not sure it is weird. That was religiously what people did until winter 1996/7 even though in today's risk averse world you could argue there was little big benefit. Everybody cleared their drive and a tiny area around it with some of the footpaths and if you were really lucky they'd gang together and clear really bad areas like corners and where gradients kick up in a team.

This is the same behaviour that survives in a few toady just that as lazy bastardism has gripped the UK in the last ten years there isn't a great deal of point clearing the road because nobody else does.

Spot on. I used to walk the dog every morning and pick up any litter at the same time. A neighbour said 'i wouldnt even bother, it'll be the same tomorrow'
I said...'and i'll do it again tomorrow, i dont want to look at crap in the streets'

Its just an excuse for laziness and lethargy.

 

[wafflycat]

Yep; they're all at it round here as well. It seems to be older people - my MIL is worried sick about snow and for some reason about running out of bread. It must date from the war or maybe from 1963.

One good thing is that I've never seen so many people out walking to the shops, our street is a thoroughfare to the local shops and has a slope at each end so we've been out sledging and have got into some great conversations with neighbours.

This inclement weather has brought home to me another benefit of having a breadmaker. I've always got enough flour & yeast in the house for a month's supply of loaves.

Of course, if the electricity goes off, I have a problem, as a little camping stove is cr@p for baking bread

 

[wafflycat]

You've clearly never heard the tales of my mother and breadmaking. She's a good cook, brilliant at cakes and pastry, but bread... Tends to turn out like bricks. She gave up trying.

Eventually, wooed by the reccomendations of friends, she bought a breadmaker.

It blew up.

*chortle*

Luckily that hasn't happened to my breadmaker... yet

 

[jeltz]

One of out neighbours was using a broom to "sweep" the 14cm of snow off his hedge yesterday. I'm sure there's a valid horticultural reason for it!

 

[Norm]

Soooo sexy


The bike that is Very nice Norm!!

What can I tell ya. At least people will now realise why I need to ride more.

One of out neighbours was using a broom to "sweep" the 14cm of snow off his hedge yesterday. I'm sure there's a valid horticultural reason for it!

Unless the hedge is a fragile wood, and the snow could damage the stems, not only is there not a good reason for it, there is a good reason not to do it.

As Linf's farmer friends will confirm , a layer of snow over growing tips at this time of year is a good thing. Plants give off a small amount of heat, cover them with snow and they will create themselves an igloo which will protect them from frost damage. Much better to have snow before a cold snap as there's a much greater chance that the shoots will survive.

 

[ChrisKH]

I walked down our road this morning and could have stolen three cars which had been left unattended with the engine running. One gentleman was clearing 5cm of snow from the part of his drive which runs over the path and onto the road. "Be careful" he said "it's very slippery on that bit now".

Then why do it?

 

[Speicher]

As Linf's farmer friends will confirm , a layer of snow over growing tips at this time of year is a good thing. Plants give off a small amount of heat, cover them with snow and they will create themselves an igloo which will protect them from frost damage. Much better to have snow before a cold snap as there's a much greater chance that the shoots will survive.

Thank you for that Norm.

Very much off topic *

I have some very young bottle brush cuttings that I have brought indoors as they were only potted up in the summer. The plants that are two years old, are still outside. I did wonder about brushing the snow of them, but thought there was some thing about protection by the snow. Bottle brush plants are one of my favourites, but new plants are very expensive. I do not want to loose my carefully cherished new plants. Should I put them out during the day, in a sunny spot, or keep them indoors for now.
I presume that baby plants do not mind being nice and warm for a few days.

Which thread did I think I was on?

 

[Norm]

Hmm.... I'm more agriculture than horticulture, Speicher. Give me a field of corn and I can help but I can't offer much specific advice on Callistemons. (The wife is the gardener, and some of that stuff does rub off. )

I've had a quick word with Mrs Norm, who has offered the following. Snow should give enough protection for the plants which are outside, if we get a cold snap without snow, I'd suggest some garden fleece. They don't like cold winds and soggy ground, though, so keep them in pots or in very well drained soil.

Those which are inside can stay inside. They are semi-frost tolerant but the temperatures during the day here are not getting above freezing (not sure what it's like in Worcs) so I'd keep the new plants indoors or, if you have one, in a cold frame outside.

 

[rich p]

Thank you for that Norm.

Very much off topic *

I have some very young bottle brush cuttings that I have brought indoors as they were only potted up in the summer. The plants that are two years old, are still outside. I did wonder about brushing the snow of them, but thought there was some thing about protection by the snow. Bottle brush plants are one of my favourites, but new plants are very expensive. I do not want to loose my carefully cherished new plants. Should I put them out during the day, in a sunny spot, or keep them indoors for now.
I presume that baby plants do not mind being nice and warm for a few days.

Which thread did I think I was on?

I'd keep the cuttings indoors for sure.

 

[Speicher]

I think I will keep the very young ones indoors. Garden fleece - is that a special fabric? I have an old fleece which got a large quantity of candle wax split on it (don't ask ). It is quite a large fleece, so if I cut up the damaged bit, will that do for insulation, presumabley round the pot, rather than over the top of the plant.

It is sunny, but vey cold, with about five inches of snow. There is a field of wheat at the bottom of my garden, perhaps you would be more at home there?