And the east wind doth blow..........
Bloody hell it's cold today! I really feel I should make an effort to post everyday since it's 30 years since we had weather like this!
We got about another two inches of snow last night and it froze almost immediately. I would say we have about 7 inches of lying snow up at the farm although we have kept the yard itself pretty much cleared.
Ok, some positive things about the snow.
For one, working the trains is extremely pretty. Because of the speed and weight of the trains, we disturb the lying snow as we speed past and this creates sort of a swirly snow vortex which, when the sun is shining, turns it into a shimmering, sparkling snowglobe effect behind the train. Because I have access to the back cab I get to see it. It is one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen and it literally takes my breath away!
Another happy snow event is that there is a snowman at almost every station on our route! I guess the platform staff feel a need to get creative with all the snow the scrape from the platform edges! My favourite is at East Midlands Parkway. She is a snow lady complete with voluptous boobies and a pink bikini! At Luton (one of our very busy commuter stations) they have made a terribly upstanding snow-business-man with a briefcase, furled unbrella and a bowler hat. All our snow-passengers along the route make us smile even when we are freezing our whistles off on the platforms!
The trains are standing up well to the icy weather although they are literally dripping icicles. The only problem I have encountered all week is a coach with no lighting as the battery isolator had tripped as the demand for heat was more than it could cope with. But it was mended and caused us no delay. At the moment I feel proud to do my job knowing that we are getting people to work when the roads are crap and dangerous. :-)
My boy is still fine and dandy. He had a play in the snow this morning. It was snowing heavily and he got really excited and cavorted about for half an hour as the snow swirled aroind him.
I have to say that despite all the disruption and misery the snow can cause, in my opinion it is natures finest gift. To make ordinary objects look magical and sparkle with a million diamonds is something I will never tire of seeing. To watch my horse snorting great clouds of steam through his nostrils like some sort of mythical beast while he bucks and rears through the sheer joy of being out in this wonderful, soft, white covering makes all my problems melt away. Sometimes the beauty transcends the hassle it causes.
There. A happy snow post! Mind you, my feet are quite cold right now! ;-D
We got about another two inches of snow last night and it froze almost immediately. I would say we have about 7 inches of lying snow up at the farm although we have kept the yard itself pretty much cleared.
Ok, some positive things about the snow.
For one, working the trains is extremely pretty. Because of the speed and weight of the trains, we disturb the lying snow as we speed past and this creates sort of a swirly snow vortex which, when the sun is shining, turns it into a shimmering, sparkling snowglobe effect behind the train. Because I have access to the back cab I get to see it. It is one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen and it literally takes my breath away!
Another happy snow event is that there is a snowman at almost every station on our route! I guess the platform staff feel a need to get creative with all the snow the scrape from the platform edges! My favourite is at East Midlands Parkway. She is a snow lady complete with voluptous boobies and a pink bikini! At Luton (one of our very busy commuter stations) they have made a terribly upstanding snow-business-man with a briefcase, furled unbrella and a bowler hat. All our snow-passengers along the route make us smile even when we are freezing our whistles off on the platforms!
The trains are standing up well to the icy weather although they are literally dripping icicles. The only problem I have encountered all week is a coach with no lighting as the battery isolator had tripped as the demand for heat was more than it could cope with. But it was mended and caused us no delay. At the moment I feel proud to do my job knowing that we are getting people to work when the roads are crap and dangerous. :-)
My boy is still fine and dandy. He had a play in the snow this morning. It was snowing heavily and he got really excited and cavorted about for half an hour as the snow swirled aroind him.
I have to say that despite all the disruption and misery the snow can cause, in my opinion it is natures finest gift. To make ordinary objects look magical and sparkle with a million diamonds is something I will never tire of seeing. To watch my horse snorting great clouds of steam through his nostrils like some sort of mythical beast while he bucks and rears through the sheer joy of being out in this wonderful, soft, white covering makes all my problems melt away. Sometimes the beauty transcends the hassle it causes.
There. A happy snow post! Mind you, my feet are quite cold right now! ;-D