Well, here in the Swansea area of South Wales, after a couple of balmy
days where the temp went up to the lower 40's f ( Thats around 6c for
those that can't cope with Fahranheit)
It is back down to 22f overnight and still there now at 9am.
We have had sheet ice covering the carpark and patches of black ice
all over the place.
I hate to think of my heating bill at the end of this.

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 2010-12-07 09:31:02 +0000, Dave Hill
said:

Well, here in the Swansea area of South Wales, after a couple of balmy
days where the temp went up to the lower 40's f ( Thats around 6c for
those that can't cope with Fahranheit)
It is back down to 22f overnight and still there now at 9am.
We have had sheet ice covering the carpark and patches of black ice
all over the place.
I hate to think of my heating bill at the end of this.

It was -7C here last night and according to our milkman, a lower part of
the village was -8C at 7.30 this morning. It is absolutely bitter, not a
breath of wind, thank goodness and just the minimum of cloud cover.
--
Sacha


and have either of you, or anyone else come to that, thought about the birds
and their drinking/bathing water? Or only thought about yourselves?

Frost and ice all around here, but a pair of Starlings ad a flock of
Sparrows have all been down and had a drink and a bath

THINK BIRDS

Mike


--

....................................
Today, is the tomorrow, you were worrying about, yesterday.
....................................

On Tue, 7 Dec 2010 10:15:43 -0000, "'Mike'"
wrote:


"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 2010-12-07 09:31:02 +0000, Dave Hill
said:

Well, here in the Swansea area of South Wales, after a couple of balmy
days where the temp went up to the lower 40's f ( Thats around 6c for
those that can't cope with Fahranheit)
It is back down to 22f overnight and still there now at 9am.
We have had sheet ice covering the carpark and patches of black ice
all over the place.
I hate to think of my heating bill at the end of this.

It was -7C here last night and according to our milkman, a lower part of
the village was -8C at 7.30 this morning. It is absolutely bitter, not a
breath of wind, thank goodness and just the minimum of cloud cover.
--
Sacha


and have either of you, or anyone else come to that, thought about the birds
and their drinking/bathing water? Or only thought about yourselves?

Frost and ice all around here, but a pair of Starlings ad a flock of
Sparrows have all been down and had a drink and a bath

THINK BIRDS

Mike


My dad suggested putting some sugar in the water...
--
http://www.bra-and-pants.com
http://www.holidayunder100.co.uk

"mogga" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 7 Dec 2010 10:15:43 -0000, "'Mike'"
wrote:


"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 2010-12-07 09:31:02 +0000, Dave Hill
said:

Well, here in the Swansea area of South Wales, after a couple of balmy
days where the temp went up to the lower 40's f ( Thats around 6c for
those that can't cope with Fahranheit)
It is back down to 22f overnight and still there now at 9am.
We have had sheet ice covering the carpark and patches of black ice
all over the place.
I hate to think of my heating bill at the end of this.

It was -7C here last night and according to our milkman, a lower part of
the village was -8C at 7.30 this morning. It is absolutely bitter, not
a
breath of wind, thank goodness and just the minimum of cloud cover.
--
Sacha


and have either of you, or anyone else come to that, thought about the
birds
and their drinking/bathing water? Or only thought about yourselves?

Frost and ice all around here, but a pair of Starlings ad a flock of
Sparrows have all been down and had a drink and a bath

THINK BIRDS

Mike


My dad suggested putting some sugar in the water...
--
http://www.bra-and-pants.com
http://www.holidayunder100.co.uk


I don't put anything in, but there is plenty of food about for them


Mike

--

....................................
Today, is the tomorrow, you were worrying about, yesterday.
....................................

On 07/12/2010 10:48, mogga wrote:
On Tue, 7 Dec 2010 10:15:43 -0000, "'Mike'"
wrote:


wrote in message
...
On 2010-12-07 09:31:02 +0000, Dave
said:

Well, here in the Swansea area of South Wales, after a couple of balmy
days where the temp went up to the lower 40's f ( Thats around 6c for
those that can't cope with Fahranheit)
It is back down to 22f overnight and still there now at 9am.
We have had sheet ice covering the carpark and patches of black ice
all over the place.
I hate to think of my heating bill at the end of this.

It was -7C here last night and according to our milkman, a lower part of
the village was -8C at 7.30 this morning. It is absolutely bitter, not a
breath of wind, thank goodness and just the minimum of cloud cover.
--
Sacha


and have either of you, or anyone else come to that, thought about the birds
and their drinking/bathing water? Or only thought about yourselves?

Frost and ice all around here, but a pair of Starlings ad a flock of
Sparrows have all been down and had a drink and a bath

THINK BIRDS

Mike


My dad suggested putting some sugar in the water...


I'm sure your Dad meant well, Mogga, and was thinking of drinking water,
but if a bird *bathed* in sugared water, it would surely make his
plumage sticky and hard to preen.

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay

On Tue, 07 Dec 2010 13:25:27 +0000, Spider wrote:

On 07/12/2010 10:48, mogga wrote:
On Tue, 7 Dec 2010 10:15:43 -0000, "'Mike'"
wrote:


wrote in message
...
On 2010-12-07 09:31:02 +0000, Dave
said:

Well, here in the Swansea area of South Wales, after a couple of balmy
days where the temp went up to the lower 40's f ( Thats around 6c for
those that can't cope with Fahranheit)
It is back down to 22f overnight and still there now at 9am.
We have had sheet ice covering the carpark and patches of black ice
all over the place.
I hate to think of my heating bill at the end of this.

It was -7C here last night and according to our milkman, a lower part of
the village was -8C at 7.30 this morning. It is absolutely bitter, not a
breath of wind, thank goodness and just the minimum of cloud cover.
--
Sacha


and have either of you, or anyone else come to that, thought about the birds
and their drinking/bathing water? Or only thought about yourselves?

Frost and ice all around here, but a pair of Starlings ad a flock of
Sparrows have all been down and had a drink and a bath

THINK BIRDS

Mike


My dad suggested putting some sugar in the water...


I'm sure your Dad meant well, Mogga, and was thinking of drinking water,
but if a bird *bathed* in sugared water, it would surely make his
plumage sticky and hard to preen.


Yes it didn't sound sensible if they can bathe in it...
I think they have a go at getting in almost anything (Although not
seen any at the moment)...
The sparrows and blackbirds have been seen having a bath in the
rainwater barrel not so long back.
--
http://www.bra-and-pants.com
http://www.holidayunder100.co.uk

"Dave Hill" wrote in message
...
Well, here in the Swansea area of South Wales, after a couple of balmy
days where the temp went up to the lower 40's f ( Thats around 6c for
those that can't cope with Fahranheit)
It is back down to 22f overnight and still there now at 9am.
We have had sheet ice covering the carpark and patches of black ice
all over the place.
I hate to think of my heating bill at the end of this.

Was up to 2c two days again but down to - 9 again last two days. I wouldn't
mind so much if I had central heating. My bathroom is out of order because
nothing can go down the plugholes, it's frozen up.

A spider was in my bath yesterday and I refused to put him out in case he
froze in the garden. He froze to death in my bath anyway overnight :-(
It was 9c in my kitchen this morning with my gas fire on overnight.
Tina

"Dave Hill" wrote in message
...
Well, here in the Swansea area of South Wales, after a couple of balmy
days where the temp went up to the lower 40's f ( Thats around 6c for
those that can't cope with Fahranheit)
It is back down to 22f overnight and still there now at 9am.
We have had sheet ice covering the carpark and patches of black ice
all over the place.
I hate to think of my heating bill at the end of this.

Me too, greenhouse all bubblewrapped but still will cost a fortune.

OTOH, indoors, my 6" baobab cutting has set down roots and put out a lot of
nice leaves so in about 30 years when I'm dead I will have the benefit of
its fruits :-)

someone

"Sacha" wrote ...

Not unless it's a container they can't get into but can only dip their
beaks into. Even then, I'd check with the RSPB site. Ray tried
smashiing the ice on our water trough and on two of the ponds and
failed to do so on the first and made a tiny corner in the two latter.
We've put a dog's dish out for them and will keep replenishing it as
it freezes. I've just chucked peanuts around the lawn for the
collared doves, as well as some slivers of cheese and its of apple.
All the bird feeders are well-used and to my great delight I've just
seen a thrush. They seem to be very rare around here. Now we have
freezing fog. I feel so sorry for those caught up in deep snow and
worse than we have. It's terrible to think of what some people are
struggling through, so I can't complain at the very little we have to
put up with here. As long as the plants survive and we all do, too,
we're doing well!

Hope there weren't any fish in the ponds. Smashing ice on a pond can cause
serious damage to the fish due to the shock waves and at the least frighten
them at the time of year when they should be almost dormant. Better to warm
up a pan of water and then simply place the pan on the ice and it will melt
a nice round hole. Don't leave it there too long or it will get iced in. :-)
Just looked out and our pond seems to be free of ice today but we get very
few birds drinking in it anyway.
Was going to do some digging on the allotment but don't think I'll bother
now, we'll marzipan the cake instead.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden

On 12/12/2010 10:07, Bob Hobden wrote:



Hope there weren't any fish in the ponds. Smashing ice on a pond can
cause serious damage to the fish due to the shock waves and at the least
frighten them at the time of year when they should be almost dormant.


I put some car anti-freeze in my pond. It hasn't frozen yet. The fish
seem happy too - they are all floating on the top sun-bathing. ;-)

--
David in Normandy.
To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the
subject line, or it will be automatically deleted
by a filter and not reach my inbox.

"David in Normandy" wrote in message
r...
On 12/12/2010 10:07, Bob Hobden wrote:



Hope there weren't any fish in the ponds. Smashing ice on a pond can
cause serious damage to the fish due to the shock waves and at the least
frighten them at the time of year when they should be almost dormant.


I put some car anti-freeze in my pond. It hasn't frozen yet. The fish seem
happy too - they are all floating on the top sun-bathing. ;-)


The Smileycon only just saves your life (:-(

Regards
Pete(theuncouth)
www.thecanalshop.com

"Sacha" wrote in message
...

On the ponds there was enough thin ice to be able to get through it pretty
easily, just at the edges. The trough which is smaller and shallower was
just solid. He tried boiling water on it but had no success at all, so
had to give it up as a bad job. Now, we are living in a near tropical 5
or 6C and there isn't a sign of ice or snow anywhere. But it's all grey
and gloomy. ;-(
--

Sunny here( Cheshire), much ice still on canal and water butts but
otherwise clear.

Regards
Pete(the uncouth)

In message , Sacha
writes
On 2010-12-12 09:07:43 +0000, "Bob Hobden" said:

On the ponds there was enough thin ice to be able to get through it
pretty easily, just at the edges. The trough which is smaller and
shallower was just solid. He tried boiling water on it but had no
success at all, so had to give it up as a bad job. Now, we are living
in a near tropical 5 or 6C and there isn't a sign of ice or snow
anywhere. But it's all grey and gloomy. ;-(

Glorious day here in N. Dorset. One for a walk - but not until I've
stacked more logs. I believe they'll be needed again soon!
--
Gopher .... I know my place!

"Gopher" wrote in message
...
In message , Sacha
writes
On 2010-12-12 09:07:43 +0000, "Bob Hobden" said:

On the ponds there was enough thin ice to be able to get through it pretty
easily, just at the edges. The trough which is smaller and shallower was
just solid. He tried boiling water on it but had no success at all, so
had to give it up as a bad job. Now, we are living in a near tropical 5
or 6C and there isn't a sign of ice or snow anywhere. But it's all grey
and gloomy. ;-(

Glorious day here in N. Dorset. One for a walk - but not until I've
stacked more logs. I believe they'll be needed again soon!
--
Gopher .... I know my place!



Fantastic here on the Isle of Wight :-))

Brilliant sunshine but a bit low in the sky ;-}

Mike



--

....................................
Today, is the tomorrow, you were worrying about, yesterday.
....................................

"Sacha" wrote ...

Bob Hobden" said:

"Sacha" wrote ...

Not unless it's a container they can't get into but can only dip their
beaks into. Even then, I'd check with the RSPB site. Ray tried
smashiing the ice on our water trough and on two of the ponds and
failed to do so on the first and made a tiny corner in the two latter.
We've put a dog's dish out for them and will keep replenishing it as
it freezes. I've just chucked peanuts around the lawn for the
collared doves, as well as some slivers of cheese and its of apple.
All the bird feeders are well-used and to my great delight I've just
seen a thrush. They seem to be very rare around here. Now we have
freezing fog. I feel so sorry for those caught up in deep snow and
worse than we have. It's terrible to think of what some people are
struggling through, so I can't complain at the very little we have to
put up with here. As long as the plants survive and we all do, too,
we're doing well!

Hope there weren't any fish in the ponds. Smashing ice on a pond can cause
serious damage to the fish due to the shock waves and at the least
frighten them at the time of year when they should be almost dormant.
Better to warm up a pan of water and then simply place the pan on the ice
and it will melt a nice round hole. Don't leave it there too long or it
will get iced in. :-)
Just looked out and our pond seems to be free of ice today but we get very
few birds drinking in it anyway.
Was going to do some digging on the allotment but don't think I'll bother
now, we'll marzipan the cake instead.

On the ponds there was enough thin ice to be able to get through it
pretty easily, just at the edges. The trough which is smaller and
shallower was just solid. He tried boiling water on it but had no
success at all, so had to give it up as a bad job. Now, we are living
in a near tropical 5 or 6C and there isn't a sign of ice or snow
anywhere. But it's all grey and gloomy. ;-(

Actually went down to the site to spread some Lime on next years cabbage
patch and Agricultural Gypsum over one half of our plot, did the other half
last year. It has thawed on top of a thin layer of still frozen soil so
rather muddy and a bit slippery, still, another job done.
Weather is glorious today, clear blue sky, hope it clouds up before dark.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden