Today's Weather
Just got in from the outdoor market.Nice and sunny out but still freezing to me.Not very busy there, half the vendors were not open and a good 75 percent less shoppers.My cousin is going to send over a 12 page letter from my brother.Gosh, sort of not looking forward to reading it.It must be terrible to spend holidays in lock up.His son,s GF has not contacted us for almost a month. Hmm, did she drain his bank account and skip town?I hate to think about it, nothing for me to do but worry and worry is not my thing.If I could change or do something , I would.Looks like duck again tonight!Have to finish it off.Nice to have a dog who would enjoy some left overs.Spaniel dogs, IDK anything much about them.Lap dogs, I thought.Golden,s are about the 3rd smartest dogs. Even slightly smarter then a Doberman.Dobermans are easy to train because they want to please their family but sometimes they can outsmart people by doing something their own way.I would get a Doberman again in a heart beat if I was up to it.They are not aggressive if they are not bored and are well trained;One moment they are jumping around like a loon and the next they are a huge lap dog.Lots of energy, need allot of time with their family. Not the type of pet to be ignored.Think the I.Q.of a Doberman was 91 and a Golden 93.Have known people who were running on 80!My sister had a Great Dane, name of Patrick.Super laid back dog, until he was not.Once she had him and her Black Lab in the back seat of her Camero.She got petrol at the station and the guy put his hand inside her car to hand back her money.Before anyone knew the Dane was in the front seat holding the guys hand in his mouth.Protection dogs. - @Marilyn TassyYour posting prompted me to check the intelligence of Spaniels - particularly the English Cocker Spaniel or the Welsh Spaniel - and they are pretty smart but not as clever as Goldies. They seem to need a lot of attention, 2 walks a day and plenty of engagement. Be like having a boisterous kid on our hands and I am wondering if it would be too much. And it seems, they need to be fully engaged and trained early to ensure they are properly socialised to ensure they know who is the boss. They can get bored and therefore naughty. They seem possibly a little bit behind the Goldie but they can do plenty and are about half the weight. That's 20kg which is medium I'd say. Our Goldie is 40kg and is not fat (not much anyway). I think if I am retired - probably by the time I am 70, I will have time for it. Once again, me discussing Spaniels with others here has brought complaints of my pushing our existing Goldie into the grave. I wondered if we have 2 dogs, they could benefit from each other. Apparently Spaniels readily join families and are very happy to be part of it. Right new, we've got visitors - again. I am not particularly engaged with them. It's once again all Hungarian. I am doing duties like filling up and putting the dishwasher on. I think they will go soon. Luckily, that will be it for this year.Is your cousin going to just scan you bro's letter or photo it and share it? That's the way forward, not normal post. It's dire here if one gets letters - takes weeks. I bought some electronic bits on Alza on Xmas Day and they were in the Alza box for collection this morning. That's mega fast. Wasn't a complicated thing but I was amazed it was in there so quickly. If only Magyar Post had the same work ethic. - @fluffy2560
Yes, she scans them so the writing is a bit easier to read. She blows up the pages etc.
He was using torn out plank pages from books and found the guts of an old pen, sometimes a old pencil on the ground.
Every time they move him they toss out everything he bought and he has to start fresh. New soap, shampoo , toothpaste and brush.
I thought they provided the basic things but no.
I am almost numb now thinking about his situation, that or I,d be pulling my hair out.
He will be fine in time, just a hard patch in his life right now.
My eldest had a flu shot and some other shot last Sunday.
A few days later she could not move, her nerves in her legs were gone Stayed in bed for 2 days and barely could get to the loo by herself!
My nightmare, her depending on halfie for anything!
She is good now but it was scary.
Weird thing, when our mother was 18 or 19 she had some sort of thing with her legs too. For about 6 months she was in bed! No flu shots back then either. I had forgotten she told me about that years ago until now.
It was long before polio too.
I wonder if the food supply had something to do with it, early days of mass production of food, canned etc.?
Something in the fertilizer?
Just cleared up one day.
Yes, all dogs benefit from early training.
My Max was a large European style Doberman, the standard US type is allot smaller then he was.
He could be a handful if you allowed him the upper hand.
All energy and muscle, he could take down a man twice his size if he wished to.
He was very gentle , with small children he would almost squeal and shake like he was being extra careful with them.
When he was still a puppy, a large puppy, our old neighbor and her little girl came over to see our new home.
She had stopped at a hamburger place to buy her girl lunch and we sat outside by the pool;
I had no idea she had brought food, just opened it up and bam, it was gone; My Max snagged it out of the girls hands in one gulp.
Did not hurt the girl but scared her to death.
Needless to say my neighbor never came over again. Not really our fault, if I had known they would tempt him, I would of but him away. He had such a look of satisfaction on his face, I had to control my laughter, my friend so not to insult my friend.
Oh, dear, should move this to another topic, nothing to do with the weather. I do see it is going to dip by Wed.Might even get some snow.
W've heard about that NHS scheme. Just weird. But I suppose it's the same as any other employer. My bro took early retirement and I think he's still in their scheme for several more years. Jumps the queues! - @fluffy2560 The Cynic in me can't help but compare which services the GP surgery charges for, with those available on the staff medical insurance list, then look for the triple whammy on the QOF list of services; nothing else to do on some days and I just know where to look. - @Cynic
I can imagine my "colleagues" working in healthcare, sitting around working on that QOF list. Reminds me of similar lists and models we use in my area of specialism. Nowt wrong with that. It's as good as another. Â
"It is not about performance management but resourcing and rewarding good practice."
I'd ask the question, "Aren't those areas of interest actually the same thing?"
Weather update:
Sunny with some cotton wool clouds. Cold at 3C but the wind chill indicator makes it close to or below zero. We've got significant winds, up to 45 km/h.  The weather station says instantaneous 5.8 m/s gusts from the West. Humidity is 62% but the pressure is steady at 1015 hPa. No sign of rain but the clouds look "heavy" and dark underneath.Â
I was planning dog walking but Mrs Fluffy is opposed to wind and of course, I'd selected a route near an airfield (Hármashatár-hegy aka HHH or Three Borders Hill/Mountain) which has little cover. It'd be brutally cold. I think we have to put this off until tomorrow. I might end up going alone on that one.  I've got good coats, 4WD boots, hats and gloves. Only issue is walking with my dodgy back and hurty hips. I don't like going on my own as I always feel it's becoming somewhat risky.
5C and cloudy; it will stay this way until New Year's Eve when the clouds will break, and it will get colder; currently forecasting snow from 5 Jan onwards, we'll see how that goes; in the 30 years we've lived here I think I can count the number of times we've had proper snow on one hand.
Been doing some DIY; further proof, were it needed, that my carpentry skills are on a level with Van Goch's skill with an arc welder. Anyway, it will keep Mrs C occupied trying to hide the damage I've done to the kitchen cabinets. I blamed Boris ofc.
5C and cloudy; it will stay this way until New Year's Eve when the clouds will break, and it will get colder; currently forecasting snow from 5 Jan onwards, we'll see how that goes; in the 30 years we've lived here I think I can count the number of times we've had proper snow on one hand.Been doing some DIY; further proof, were it needed, that my carpentry skills are on a level with Van Goch's skill with an arc welder. Anyway, it will keep Mrs C occupied trying to hide the damage I've done to the kitchen cabinets. I blamed Boris ofc. - @Cynic
Don't you mean Van Gogh...or maybe as in LlanfairÂpwllgwyngyllÂgogeryÂchwyrnÂdrobwllÂllanÂtysilioÂgogoÂgoch?  That guy did get around. I do agree his welding skills must have been bad - tried to weld one's ear is a problem. He could have turned to drugs for his tinnitus.
I only mention Lllanfair...etc because Fiona Bruce mentioned it on an old Antiques Roadshow. My Xmas viewing was old episodes of that and Star Trek on Netflix. Oh and Stranger Things.
We were doggy walking. Our Goldie loves the outdoor life. But she's getting tired a bit. Could do with losing a few kg. Snores like a trooper after 6 pints of ale.  But it's lovely and sunny today. 4C with a slight breeze 2m/s from WSW. Clear skies. No clouds at all. Moon is quite visible during the day. Sunset 16.01h. We're on the uphill slope.
Our neighbour is to blame for all failures here - never lend your tools to others. Or possibly the previous occupant whose ghost hangs around moving stuff and buggering up DIY jobs. I believe the previous guy, Horvath, died in this very room. It explains a lot. 👺
5C and cloudy; it will stay this way until New Year's Eve when the clouds will break, and it will get colder; currently forecasting snow from 5 Jan onwards, we'll see how that goes; in the 30 years we've lived here I think I can count the number of times we've had proper snow on one hand.Been doing some DIY; further proof, were it needed, that my carpentry skills are on a level with Van Goch's skill with an arc welder. Anyway, it will keep Mrs C occupied trying to hide the damage I've done to the kitchen cabinets. I blamed Boris ofc. - @Cynic
Don't you mean Van Gogh...or maybe as in LlanfairÂpwllgwyngyllÂgogeryÂchwyrnÂdrobwllÂllanÂtysilioÂgogoÂgoch? That guy did get around. I do agree his welding skills must have been bad - tried to weld one's ear is a problem. He could have turned to drugs for his tinnitus.
I only mention Lllanfair...etc because Fiona Bruce mentioned it on an old Antiques Roadshow. My Xmas viewing was old episodes of that and Star Trek on Netflix. Oh and Stranger Things.
We were doggy walking. Our Goldie loves the outdoor life. But she's getting tired a bit. Could do with losing a few kg. Snores like a trooper after 6 pints of ale. But it's lovely and sunny today. 4C with a slight breeze 2m/s from WSW. Clear skies. No clouds at all. Moon is quite visible during the day. Sunset 16.01h. We're on the uphill slope.
Our neighbour is to blame for all failures here - never lend your tools to others. Or possibly the previous occupant whose ghost hangs around moving stuff and buggering up DIY jobs. I believe the previous guy, Horvath, died in this very room. It explains a lot. 👺 - @fluffy2560
4C and cloudy today; cloud clears tonight, and the temps start to drop over the New Year; still forecasting snow next Wednesday, but it's now been changed to sleet (sort of half/half).
I speak Twents, which is not proper Dutch, so I'm allowed to get away with things like misspelling important Dutch people/places names so apart from famous painters, Amsterdoom is also one of my favourites. Mrs C tells me I speak Dutch like a native, of Istanbul; I sometimes wonder if she's talking about my English!
Boris does not like getting groomed - he is groomed, but our ex-neighbour ran a grooming business, so to him, it was a place where they store treats and grooming was viewed as part of the process of snaffling a treat from Rachel, but he's generally not a smelly dog, not even when he gets wet. He is a Patterdale and has absolutely no recall if it involves a pigeon, squirrel, postman, Amazon delivery man and anybody in a vehicle with a sliding door - the list is flexible.
Happy New Year to all. 4C and mostly cloudy; the snow has now vanished from our bit of the long-range forecast; I shan't say I told them so, but, .........
We had a relatively quiet New Year, virtually no fireworks to be heard down our end of the village, for which Boris and his mates thanks everybody.
Happy New Year to all. 4C and mostly cloudy; the snow has now vanished from our bit of the long-range forecast; I shan't say I told them so, but, .........We had a relatively quiet New Year, virtually no fireworks to be heard down our end of the village, for which Boris and his mates thanks everybody. - @Cynic
Thanks for the good wishes, same to everyone of course. Let's hope we all get what we want for 2026. But we can accept what we need. Whatever that is!
We're at about 4cm of snow and more is expected. The current snow is melting as it's 2C. Forecast has it that it will be below zero tonight. That means ice with new snow on top. Potentially dangerous. I had considered using my 4WD car but it's dripping away pretty quickly, the roads will be clear.  The government clears the main roads but not our side road.  The sun is out and hardly a cloud in the sky. Wind chill is -1C. 1.5 m/s wind from WNW.
Fireworks were quite subdued last night. A years ago, it would go on 2h post midnight. I think it's a money issue - literally people don't have money to burn. We had 9 rockets and 3 bangs which we set off elsewhere, not in our garden but an open park area nearby.Â
Our doggy has never been bothered by fireworks and bangs. What she didn't like is being alone. She's not allowed upstairs but I told her to come up and she was fine then. We were on the balcony overlooking a village sky and looking at some of the local efforts.Â
Ah, those Dutch accents. I wasn't in Brabant long enough to get an accent but I cleared off to Germany and apparently I have a bit of a Dutch accent (maybe Vlaams) when speaking German. That's what the locals told me.  I never got an Austrian accent when we lived there. I found it quite difficult to understand the Austrians. So I don't know how I sounded to them. I can easily still tell the difference in Belgium with Vlaams and with Austrian Deutsch. Vlaams I quite like but I think I can leave Austrian Deutsch even though I hung out in Munich a fair bit. Â
5C and cloudy; it will stay this way until New Year's Eve when the clouds will break, and it will get colder; currently forecasting snow from 5 Jan onwards, we'll see how that goes; in the 30 years we've lived here I think I can count the number of times we've had proper snow on one hand.Been doing some DIY; further proof, were it needed, that my carpentry skills are on a level with Van Goch's skill with an arc welder. Anyway, it will keep Mrs C occupied trying to hide the damage I've done to the kitchen cabinets. I blamed Boris ofc. - @CynicDon't you mean Van Gogh...or maybe as in LlanfairÂpwllgwyngyllÂgogeryÂchwyrnÂdrobwllÂllanÂtysilioÂgogoÂgoch? That guy did get around. I do agree his welding skills must have been bad - tried to weld one's ear is a problem. He could have turned to drugs for his tinnitus. I only mention Lllanfair...etc because Fiona Bruce mentioned it on an old Antiques Roadshow. My Xmas viewing was old episodes of that and Star Trek on Netflix. Oh and Stranger Things. We were doggy walking. Our Goldie loves the outdoor life. But she's getting tired a bit. Could do with losing a few kg. Snores like a trooper after 6 pints of ale. But it's lovely and sunny today. 4C with a slight breeze 2m/s from WSW. Clear skies. No clouds at all. Moon is quite visible during the day. Sunset 16.01h. We're on the uphill slope.Our neighbour is to blame for all failures here - never lend your tools to others. Or possibly the previous occupant whose ghost hangs around moving stuff and buggering up DIY jobs. I believe the previous guy, Horvath, died in this very room. It explains a lot. 👺 - @fluffy2560 4C and cloudy today; cloud clears tonight, and the temps start to drop over the New Year; still forecasting snow next Wednesday, but it's now been changed to sleet (sort of half/half).I speak Twents, which is not proper Dutch, so I'm allowed to get away with things like misspelling important Dutch people/places names so apart from famous painters, Amsterdoom is also one of my favourites. Mrs C tells me I speak Dutch like a native, of Istanbul; I sometimes wonder if she's talking about my English!Boris does not like getting groomed - he is groomed, but our ex-neighbour ran a grooming business, so to him, it was a place where they store treats and grooming was viewed as part of the process of snaffling a treat from Rachel, but he's generally not a smelly dog, not even when he gets wet. He is a Patterdale and has absolutely no recall if it involves a pigeon, squirrel, postman, Amazon delivery man and anybody in a vehicle with a sliding door - the list is flexible. - @Cynic
Sorry for a minute, I thought you were referring to Boris Johnson as a smelly thing! Happy NY!
....!Boris does not like getting groomed - he is groomed, but our ex-neighbour ran a grooming business, so to him, it was a place where they store treats and grooming was viewed as part of the process of snaffling a treat from Rachel, but he's generally not a smelly dog, not even when he gets wet. He is a Patterdale and has absolutely no recall if it involves a pigeon, squirrel, postman, Amazon delivery man and anybody in a vehicle with a sliding door - the list is flexible. - @Cynic
Sorry for a minute, I thought you were referring to Boris Johnson as a smelly thing! Happy NY! - @Marilyn Tassy
If Boris (Johnson) gets wet, his hair will be messed up. Oh, wait a minute, messed up hair, Peppa Pig and that affectation of being flustered is part of his schtick. I don't know if he's smelly but what he did as PM stank for sure - amateur and we're left with Brexit fallout. Thanks Boris. Â
I did think of Boris going after the Amazon delivery driver is a very modern equivalent of the post man who dogs traditionally did not like. Â
Who sends letters these days?  We get bills mainly or official documents. No-one writes us letters. I don't mind actually, we're closer with instant messaging. But it also means we communicate in spurts or short messages. We don't even send or receive SMS/text messages these days.
BTW, today we had an Internet disaster. Our entire system went belly up. It was out of action from about 14.30 to 19.30.  We had to resort to other ways to entertain ourselves. One upside was our lad went sledging with his friends instead of shooting it in Call of Duty or summat like it. I sat on the sofa hoping for inspiration as to why the problem had happened and chatting to our daughter. After resetting our HU Telekom box (I mean hard reset, back to basics), it all came back. What happened, I have no idea. Our system here is very complicated - we've about 40 devices connected to our cabled network. I think they (Telekom) did an update as we noticed our TV box decided to update itself.  This is not the first time, we've had unannounced "upgrades".  Absolute shower, HU Telekom.
Update:
It's not scorchio, it's freezio, -3C now and it could be -15C or less with more snow today and all week. At least 5cm this arvo.
I think I'm going to be hiding under the bed until Spring.
Update:
It's not scorchio, it's freezio, -3C now and it could be -15C or less with more snow today and all week. At least 5cm this arvo.
I think I'm going to be hiding under the bed until Spring. - @fluffy2560
BRRR, -1C at the moment; with the wind, it feels like -9C and it's not forecasting to go much higher. Schools are back today, so we begin another year .................. looking forward to Spring.
Update:It's not scorchio, it's freezio, -3C now and it could be -15C or less with more snow today and all week. At least 5cm this arvo.I think I'm going to be hiding under the bed until Spring. - @fluffy2560BRRR, -1C at the moment; with the wind, it feels like -9C and it's not forecasting to go much higher. Schools are back today, so we begin another year .................. looking forward to Spring. - @Cynic
I heard the runway at LPL (Liverpool) was closed due to snow.  UK daughter is flying out on Thursday to a warmer place but she's going from Manchester. I wonder if the UK is going to fall to bits as it usually does with a bit of snow. We've just seen two snow ploughs/gritters. Unusual. They don't usually come near us.  One even drove past just now doing the gritting.  We're usually ignored.
Showing -1C right now but a chill factor of -4C. We've been to the hypermarket and we were commenting on how dry it seems to be despite there being snow everywhere.Â
That's fairly typical Eastern Europe. Freezing cold but dry air and dry ground where the snow hasn't stuck.Â
Minor update: it's going to snow very heavily all day and tomorrow. 5-7cm expected.
Update:It's not scorchio, it's freezio, -3C now and it could be -15C or less with more snow today and all week. At least 5cm this arvo.I think I'm going to be hiding under the bed until Spring. - @fluffy2560BRRR, -1C at the moment; with the wind, it feels like -9C and it's not forecasting to go much higher. Schools are back today, so we begin another year .................. looking forward to Spring. - @Cynic
I heard the runway at LPL (Liverpool) was closed due to snow. UK daughter is flying out on Thursday to a warmer place but she's going from Manchester. I wonder if the UK is going to fall to bits as it usually does with a bit of snow. We've just seen two snow ploughs/gritters. Unusual. They don't usually come near us. One even drove past just now doing the gritting. We're usually ignored.
Showing -1C right now but a chill factor of -4C. We've been to the hypermarket and we were commenting on how dry it seems to be despite there being snow everywhere.
That's fairly typical Eastern Europe. Freezing cold but dry air and dry ground where the snow hasn't stuck.
Minor update: it's going to snow very heavily all day and tomorrow. 5-7cm expected. - @fluffy2560
So glad I don't have much to do with air travel any more. You're right about Liverpool, we had an Aer Lingus flight divert into Leeds/Bradford yesterday, which meant that Manchester was also out. Local spotters got all excited (apparently it's been over 20 years since an Aer Lingus aircraft visited LBA); in my time Liverpool was better known as RAF Speke, my company bought one of the hangars to store new ambulances in between them being built in Poland and being delivered to the annual contracts we had with the NHS.
So glad I don't have much to do with air travel any more. You're right about Liverpool, we had an Aer Lingus flight divert into Leeds/Bradford yesterday, which meant that Manchester was also out. Local spotters got all excited (apparently it's been over 20 years since an Aer Lingus aircraft visited LBA); in my time Liverpool was better known as RAF Speke, my company bought one of the hangars to store new ambulances in between them being built in Poland and being delivered to the annual contracts we had with the NHS. - @Cynic
I was on an Aer LIngus flight once from Amsterdam and we circled over MAN waiting for the fog to go away, then thought we were going to DUB and then arrived about 2h late at LBA.  There were a lot of other aircraft there, also diverted. Then they put us on a coach to MAN which dropped us at the terminal minus our bags. It was a good job I had everything I needed like car keys as my car was in the MAN car park.  But who in their right mind, puts their keys in their suitcase? Some people did. WTF were they thinking? In the end we got our bags next day.
I don't remember seeing any ambulances there. I think the older terminal is now the Crowne Plaza hotel and part of a museum. Never been in it. I think there are some exhibits like a couple of old prop airliners.
LPL I've actually flown out of in a small Cessna. It was in the days when LPL was not used commercially as much and was more General Aviation.  I think LPL is a dump of an airport that needs maybe £50M bringing it up to a basic standard. No air bridges, rubbish lounge, too much walking, rainy, too many people, no e-gates etc.  That said, it's really convenient for visiting one of my kids. At one point Ryanair flew into Blackpool as well. But those days are long gone.  Â
Update:
Absolutely massive snow. Maybe 20cm in total. It's just a touch over 0C at the moment but I am not seeing much melting.  Something is up with my weather station. I think it's stuck up with a pile of snow. No outside temperature, wind or direction available. Probably the solar panel is covered by snow and it is unpowered.Â
2nd update:
The weather station is reset. It was covered in snow and jammed up. The solar panel was indeed covered in snow so it was using its batteries and they seem to have been depleted.Â
I am not sure we're getting wind speed and direction, showing 0 m/s from the SSE. But -3.2C and 80% humidity outside. Some snow earlier but only a bit. More snow is expected tonight.
Currently -1C, forecasting a high of 1C; Storm Gertrude is due later this evening, but we look like we will escape much of the impact, with the possibility of some snow/rain this evening. Next week is looking a bit warmer than it has been.
Currently -1C, forecasting a high of 1C; Storm Gertrude is due later this evening, but we look like we will escape much of the impact, with the possibility of some snow/rain this evening. Next week is looking a bit warmer than it has been. - @Cynic
Not seeing any sign of higher temperatures here.Â
It's -4C and while it's really sunny, there's a 3 m/s wind which means a chill factor below -6C.  Wind is from NW.
As is typical in Eastern Europe, it's normal to have brutally cold weather (<-10C) but very sunny days and clear skies.  The clear skies obviously means no blanket/cloud cover, so that's why it gets so cold, plus wind from the North (Pole).
Looks like we're in for very cold weather for more than a week. There's a low next Tuesday of -18C at night possibly with far worse chill factors.  No sign of a thaw for several weeks.
Update:
More snow. This is getting serious. HU authorities can cope with the occasional dump but they are less organised for prolonged bad weather. I think we've got 30cm now and it's still -5C. We had another pile today and it'll be -10C or less tonight. I had to dig out two of my cars here including my 4WD.
And the bad news is the windscreen wipers were on and the wipers were frozen (despite a cardboard insulator) and it's ripped the rubber off and broken the plastic bracket on the wiper arm. So that's another thing to fix in Artic conditions. Really fiddly with cold fingers.
We planned to go to the DIY shop but that's off the agenda. The 4WD can easily cope in 30cm snow but it'd be better if we were to see snow plough action so there's no doubt. Mrs F said she didn't see anyone in the towns nearby and everything is snarled up with the odd car in ditches.
Strange this year with the snow.
Have not seen much over the past few years here in the city.
Sorry for the windscreen troubles.
Always something with cars.
My sister in Minn.has some sort of remote starter for warming the car up from inside her home. That went bad, now she has to sit in a cold car to warm it up.
Our car battery is just over one year old;.
The cold killed it, took it in to charge it, ran fine for weeks.
Then it died again, took it to charge and my impatient husband only allowed it to charge for a short time.
I told him it was not important to use the car, that we could walk that day;
No, he set it up and off we went. Had the heater, whippers, and fan on, lights too.
Got as far as Keliti where we usually park to jump into the post office. Died right there in the road!
Heavy car,We tried pushing it into an open parking spot; The guy behind us had to help since we were blocking him;
Dam though he only pushed it up a tiny bit, later I had to help get it into the spot so the rear end would not get hit.
Took the battery out, carried it home in a backpack.
Charged it over night, took it back in the morning the next day, started up and drove straight home.
Pretty sure we blew out the alternator, hope maybe just a fuse?
Too cold to really look into it right now.
Not a big deal to change ourselves but doing it in the snow on the street is not very nice.
Maybe we can rewind it ourselves ?
My cousin in Vegas and his wife made a good living doing work on alternators and starters. He is rather well off from that business.
We are crazy, old but still so used to tackling jobs ourselves. Hate to hire outsiders as we see we can do it ourselves with a bit of effort and luck.
So we took the bus to Tesco yesterday to pick up groceries.
IDK,perhaps most people are age would just order online?
I refuse to give in and not go take care of our own affairs.
It was fun, not so fun to be out in the snow carrying food home.
At least no one would take us for secret millionaires. We looked like two homeless old people with backpacks on!
Got snow, nothing to be excited about.
Got snow, nothing to be excited about. - @SimCityAT
It's just really cold here.
We're at -4C now at 18.20h and it was a positively balmy (maybe barmy) -2C earlier on today.Â
The snow is far too high. It's also windy and the chill is down to -9C depending  Wind is 2-3 m/s which is high. That's direct from my roof. More snow is showing on the barometer.
We wanted to get some rock salt for the paths but we didn't see any in OBI (UK: like B&Q) (it's a useless shop at the best of times - they are cutting staff apparently). Â
Our local Vietnamese shop 300m away advertised on FB they had "shovels" (in Hungarian, also known as "spoons"). But they didn't advertise rock salt (yet).  Local Vietnamese shop is cheap compared to the chain stores who sell the same stuff.
1C here this morning, but the wind is viscous and making it feel like -12C! We had a light dusting of snow overnight, but it is now raining, so will all be gone shortly.
We have a rock/salt container at either end of our road, I assume because of the school at the end.
1C here this morning, but the wind is viscous and making it feel like -12C! We had a light dusting of snow overnight, but it is now raining, so will all be gone shortly.We have a rock/salt container at either end of our road, I assume because of the school at the end. - @Cynic
It's brighter here today but the wind is oppressive. It's -3C but add the chill factor and we're at -8C. No sign of any melting. According to forecast, we'll be in positive territory and then the snow might melt. But it'll probably take several weeks to go away. We really need it to go away on the paths and driveway.  Maybe we can get away with no rock salt spreading.
Thinking about dog walking but my back is playing up. Maybe moving is what I need.
Sunset at 16.20h.
Yes, a bit too windy today to venture out unless it is an emergency.
No lotto ticket buying today, darn, bet I had the winning numbers too!
Dream on!
That st. salt is not great for dogs paws, maybe get some dogie boots?
They hate wearing them but keep trying.
Did my 90 mins workout today, feel better for it.
8C and mostly cloudy; forecasting rain later today.
Update:
It's ~19.55h (apparently 8 bells in 2 2 2 2 pattern on a dog watch) and all is well.Â
Except it's still horribly cold outside. -5C with limited wind and no chill factor. Sunset was at 16.21h. Tomorrow we're expecting more snow showers. Will this ever end?! The dog doesn't like it. The cat is on the fence (literally).Â
I suppose moving to Greenland is off the cards if we don't like it below zero with endless snow and Trumpian drizzle. I don't know if I like blubber.
We've resorted to burning some wood now - I don't really know why, just felt a bit chilly. Our CH has been operating continuously for several weeks. I have probably in the region of 3-4 tonnes of wood stored. That's 3000kg. Our wood burner uses about 3kg/hour. So that's 1000 hours of heating or 41days non-stop. Usually we only do it in the evenings (say 8h), which is 125 days. Over a winter, one might expect to burn between 3 and 5 tonnes depending on wood type. We've had this wood for some years so it's properly seasoned, split and stored undercover. I think it came from Ukraine - before the war.
I do notice when I go to relatives houses in the UK, their houses are underheated. We work on 23C here but I think they are using like 20C or a bit less. It's pretty damn cold for laying about.
For the first time in ages we are actually having a winter, snow and long days of minus temperatures. The last few years have just been 0°C and rarely getting snow. I was beginning to forget what winters were actually like and what snow looked like or felt. 
Got a few warnings in place over night, quite serious i guess when they say only make journeys if necessary by the local council and ÖBB (train company).
I've got an appointment at 9am, got to take the train, but it's only 20 minutes away so should be Okay. Back home and chill under a blanket on the settee.
-5°C over the night.
Got a high of 4°C tomorrow just noticed.
For the first time in ages we are actually having a winter, snow and long days of minus temperatures. The last few years have just been 0°C and rarely getting snow. I was beginning to forget what winters were actually like and what snow looked like or felt.
Yes, same here. Haven't had snow for ages.
Blankets and sofa. What a great idea. I'm planning to finish up a Netflix series this evening ("Run Away"). I may use a blanket. Or I could put a jumper on. I've been binging the show.
Meanwhile, the fire in the wood burner rages. It's surprising to me how much difference the wood type makes. If it feels light, it'll go up like a roman candle cum rocket engine. Good for boost but hard to regulate. Dense wood smoulders more than a cheap dame in a cheap 1940s detective movie. I like that imagery.
Just received a message warning me of black ice on the roads. Good idea. Stay at home! Mrs F will however go to work. And we have to go to Tesco to take some incorrectly bought windscreen wipers.
Weather-related travel warning
Due to the forecasted weather condition, deviations and delays in train and bus services are to be expected from 12.01.2026 to 13.01.2026, afternoon in Vienna, Lower Austria, Burgenland, Upper Austria and Salzburg. We therefore ask you to postpone non-urgent journeys to another time. Details of which ÖBB train connections are affected will be updated on oebb.at & SCOTTY as soon as we have information.
Yesterday my hubby brought down a good light, seems it is a belt that snapped and not the alternator.
Good news, just need the weather to be nicer to work on it.
No plans on driving anyways in this mess.
Have to venture out today and pay bills.
Should be warmer in a couple of days.
Then we can deal with the slush.
Yesterday my hubby brought down a good light, seems it is a belt that snapped and not the alternator.
Good news, just need the weather to be nicer to work on it.
No plans on driving anyways in this mess.
Have to venture out today and pay bills.
Should be warmer in a couple of days.
Then we can deal with the slush. - @Marilyn Tassy
I've taken to paying all the bills online when I can. It's really convenient. I'm using Simple Pay at OTP but one needs a smart phone to read the QR code on the bills. Â
I've also got a load of car parts here to fit. Weather is just impossible for outside working. For somethings, one cannot use gloves. Fan belt would be difficult but not impossible. On my own cars, I need to put a switch on the clutch pedal and a thermostat on one car and my hobby car needs an oil change but forget it - Spring. And they all need jet washing. Ain't going to happen. I do see people at the jet wash. But why?
It's just dreadful out there for any outside work. We had another 2-3cm of snow. My back isn't up to shovelling.  We've got two teenage children. They should be out there shovelling except one is at Uni and the other at school. Mrs F is at work. Hummmph...
It's showing -6C outside with chill down to -9C or even -10C. There's about 40cm now in places. Wind is 3 m/s from North. Sunset at 16.22h. Â
I'm making bread in the bread maker. I already cleared up the wood fire and remade it. Burning a tub's worth each night now.
No doggy walking in this weather.
My gawd have you seen on Sky News?
https://news.sky.com/story/airports-clo … r-13493226
They are do make me laugh "First for news". In the article it says breaking news. Geeee we have known about this since yesterday and that there were going to be delays.
My appointment this morning was a nightmare to get to, it's only 20Â minutes on the train, but trains cancelled, then the one I was to get was delayed by 30 minutes.
After my appointment getting back was worse. The times kept on changing so hoping back and forth on the trains. 1 direct or 1 change and get bus or train home.
Anyway got home home 1.5 hour's late.
But it has thawed out now, and they say the trains will get back to normal at 1am. I might be crafting and claim a refund for my ticket as I was advised to stay at home.
Worth a shot, what do you think?
My gawd have you seen on Sky News?
https://news.sky.com/story/airports-clo … r-13493226
They are do make me laugh "First for news". In the article it says breaking news. Geeee we have known about this since yesterday and that there were going to be delays.
My appointment this morning was a nightmare to get to, it's only 20 minutes on the train, but trains cancelled, then the one I was to get was delayed by 30 minutes.
After my appointment getting back was worse. The times kept on changing so hoping back and forth on the trains. 1 direct or 1 change and get bus or train home.
Anyway got home home 1.5 hour's late.
But it has thawed out now, and they say the trains will get back to normal at 1am. I might be crafting and claim a refund for my ticket as I was advised to stay at home.
Worth a shot, what do you think? - @SimCityAT
UK media is so far behind. The BBC is the worst. They publish stories days after events have occurred.
We've got no thaw here. It's too cold.  It's a bit concerning as I am flying this weekend. It'll be fine at the destination as I can see it's warm enough there. Just rainy. But launching from BUD airport, no idea.
Why not claim for a refund? If you've nothing else to do, why not? Â
I find these days I have plenty of time to prod organisations for refunds or service/warranty claims. I can spend hours on it but it costs them a lot more to deal with my claim so they might as well roll over as argue about it.
Today:
Creeping towards 0C. Just -1C today. But the with chill factor is -4C. Wind speed gusting to 3 m/s. Sunset is 16.25h.Â
Snow lies around us.  There barometer shows sunshine but I not currently seeing it. Just fog. The hills are shrouded in it.
There are some reports from the south it's 4-5C which means all the snow should go away.Â
Ohhh yes (think in Churchill style, the advertising Bulldog).
But what to do about the doggy? She's looks absolutely filthy. And my back is terrible. Again.
Gloomy and damp today but it is suppose to be warming up , slightly.
Was not too bad yesterday, went to the store and the slush was melting and I only wore 2 sweaters and a short coat, not the long heavy one with my ushanka.
I must look crazed wearing that but it is cozy and warm.
Looks like the cold is coming back later next week.
Missed taking our sled to the hill in the park, perhaps next storm?
My husband was saying this morning he is sick of the weather here, that he is wasting 9 months a year in his life.
He does have a valid point.
Vegas was 74 F.last week.
Gloomy and damp today but it is suppose to be warming up , slightly.Was not too bad yesterday, went to the store and the slush was melting and I only wore 2 sweaters and a short coat, not the long heavy one with my ushanka.I must look crazed wearing that but it is cozy and warm.Looks like the cold is coming back later next week.Missed taking our sled to the hill in the park, perhaps next storm?My husband was saying this morning he is sick of the weather here, that he is wasting 9 months a year in his life.He does have a valid point.Vegas was 74 F.last week. - @Marilyn Tassy
Yes, for sure, hiding in this freezing weather is a problem. Vegas sounds good but now it's a bit warmer (0.5C!) and "dripping", I actually managed to do things outside. And finally the trash people managed to get up the street.
I replaced my destroyed windscreen wipers, chopped kindling (with back pain disaster immediately thereafter), went to the parcel collection box and filled up my "emergency" fuel tanks (20L each of petrol/gas and diesel).  We keep this at home just in case we have to run away. It's enough to drive to Austria if there's a run on fuel due to the Soviets being on the doorstep.  And we use the petrol in the chainsaw and generator in an emergency. Â
I am not really seeing any sign of good weather coming. It's warmed up a tiny bit but but next week, it looks like it'll be brutally cold (again). Lowest I've seen forecast is -16C.  We'll be OK (especially me as I'll be somewhere warmer next week, if the planes work) but I really feel sorry for the Ukrainians with no power in -20C.  If we had no power, we'd be warm enough as we've got the wood burner and tonnes of wood. But sitting in the dark would be difficult. We'd have to talk to each other not to take their predicament lightly.
What,s worse then waiting for water to boil? Perhaps what I am doing now!
Waiting for some shoe glue to dry!
Not sure if it will dry faster in the cold, hope so!
In the middle of yoga when hubby comes over and tells me to put a boot on that he glued for me.
He could not find a vice so I had to stand on one leg for awhile! Wasn,t planning on doing tree pose today but...
I think we could entertain ourselves if the power ever went off!
Colder next week, bummer it was OK yesterday when we went out.
Be careful with pulled back muscles, the cold makes it tighter and longer to heal. You must know the drill, hot bath, rub down, move slower and rest.
Have to warm up before doing physical work.
Being prepped is good but really where to hide out?
Austria is probably one place everyone will run to. Roads will be blocked or very slow.
Maybe go south?
Drive over to S. Italy?
IDK, we probably would stay holed up and bite the bullet.
The airports would be insane and flights would be cancelled.
Everyone running with their head off to their embassies.
Hate to think of it,seems more likely now then it was the last few years.
No fear, fear lets them win.
Makes me think back to mom,s brilliant plan during the Cuban missile thing in the early 1960s.
I have mentioned it before but worth going over again.
First drop on the east coast , we in Ca; might still have time. Mom was going to fix us a nice cocktail of her valium and turn on the gas, nap time for all; Just to make sure we had sweet dreams she would put a pillow over our heads.
Dago would get a snack too.
Then she would do herself! Nice plan mom!What a way to grow up, hating other countries because they may force your mom to go nuts. First she always started her pep talk with, if we could afford a bomb shelter then that would be best, no kidding!
No fear something will get ya sooner or later, later is best but some things we can not control.
I like to semi prep, C 19 was just an experiment of shortages. No Hypo, rubber gloves and bleach , white vinegar to be found.
Still think of that women from Lidl who bought every package of rice in the store, she was loading it up in the parking lot, took her awhile to fill up her van. I was pissed only wanted to buy a kilo that day but she got there first.
Wonder if she has eaten it all by now?
Heard places like schools, pharmacy,s, hospitals and stores are not great places to find yourself when TSHTF.
Would not think schools but they stockpile food and medical items.
Update:
We decided we'd try a walk in the snow with the furry friend.  It was just really difficult going. Too deep, too slippery, rutted paths.  In the end we had cut it short. We only managed about 1.4km (not quite a mile) and it took us 40 minutes. Normally we'd be going a lot faster. We could only manage about 2.5 km/h. We should have been doing 4 km/h. Thanks smart watch. Â
The dog seemed satisfied though.  However, we did see people mountain biking and a regular person we've seen before with accompanying pooch. Â
It's almost 19h and it's 1.2C but with wind chill, -2C with wind 2.3m/s from ENE.  It should be melting and clearing up the paths and roads. However, there's some rain since midnight (0.5mm so far) and that'll be freezing when it hits the ground. It'll be incredibly dangerous going.Â
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