SNOWED IN (02/01/12)

I have moved from Tan Hill to Stockton on Tees. The forecast was for seventy mile an hour winds and I have to be here tomorrow in any event.

I hardly got a wink of sleep last night. A really wild one it was. Snow and hail being driven by sixty mile an hour gusts in the squalls. The old van was rocking away and for all the wrong reasons.

I took the dogs out in a lull at first light. It takes them ages to get anywhere in snow, sniffing, rolling…..irritating the grouse. By the time they had finished messing another blizzard had arrived. Chilly in the wind it was. I told them. It’s a tad cold for mucking around and to get their backsides in gear! I also told them I was getting cross and wet! They couldn’t  have cared less…..I remembered to say…. RIGHT….I’M OFF FOR BREAKFAST!… Both trotted back to the truck and near enough to heel. I’m thinking of taking them to Crufts. I’ll just have to recall the correct commands for the obedience test……I’ll also have to persuade Alf that it isn’t the done thing to stuff ones nose up lady dogs bottoms……That’s as good as he gets….it can quite easily get a whole lot more embarrassing. Alf waiting for his breakfast. The camper gets like a swamp the amount of wet they drag in.

I packed everything away ready to move. The gritter came past the skies cleared so I thought all my birthdays had come at once.

I took this panorama just prior to departure. That’s posh speak for going. Yes! That is a tent with a couple of motorcyclists in, Mad as a sack of spiders are hellys angels.

The yellow bit is roughly what I’m aiming for. It’s twelve miles of single track slippery slidy road betwixt us and it. The van is a fool in skiddy weather……No I didn’t make it the road or the van. We got stuck. Fortunately there were some of the party people in a Disco. (That’s a Landrover Discovery). Not the best things in snow but good enough. Six wheels churning away and my posh tow rope got us to the main road. I did a post years ago on the manufacture of said rope. IT’S HERE.

I messed about for two minutes trying to find it but then remembered I have POSTVORTA.  Mark is an all round good guy. He can also make software sing and dance to his tune. He wrote Postvorta it’s free and does work. I found an old post. Magic!! How do folk invent such things? I have a day spent getting a new header to fit.

I’ve got to go now as it’s cooking time. I have a meal to do for a young lady……….when I was little the ladies cooked. I just waited and waited….. Better I do it now and wait and wait for her to turn up and eat.

I’ll finish off with new Years eve again.

I love Tan Hill and hope it remains a refuge for all people with disparate views……….some are a wee bit annoying, though they are not allowed to be abrasive. Neither am I!… It’s a delicate balancing act between freedom of speech and action without it becoming anarchy. It’s the best place in the world. Hells Angels to Citroen CV aficionados and their well behaved dogs, cats, hens, sheep and children are all welcome.

I suspect tomorrow will be rained off but we will see.

Have fun.