Snowing

[Darren]

Thought I might try to chear this thread up a bit ...  

Here are some pictures I took earlier around my place

This is a local dam for a hydro company near to me, one of a few around here and all spectacular in their own right. We live about one photo frame to the right of this picture.



A little closer



And zoomed in some more. It stands about 150ft high and feeds another dam below where the electricity station lives. The lower lake and dam is quite pretty and I thouroughly recomend a cafe that overlooks the lower lake where you can get a darn good cheap English breakfast and a cupper   Tan-y-Grisu if anyone is around this way  
One of the Steam Railway stations is also in the same location and runs all year. Well worth a visit.



And to the right of the dam is our little town (center of picture) in the mountains





You can't see our place, but it's below the ziz zag path up the slate waste mound. This is where the workers from the town used to walk to work in the slate quarry for the last 200yrs. It's still producing what is regarded as the finest slate ever mined in the world. And indeed was shipped all over the world.



Here is a view of our place. We are well below road level and you may notice that the garage I built last summer can't be seen





Behind our house it the old market hall, where Lloyd George gave his first ever public speech. Quite a pretty building. And in front of us is an old church, again quite a nice view from the front of our property.

I hope you enjoyed the pictures  

[GrahamC]

I did, thanks for the photo tour Darren.

cheers, Graham in Ottawa Canada

[rleete]

I'd like to apologise to AdeV, as my above post came across as a bit snarky.  I assure you that it was not my intent.  I do think that everyone is sue happy these days, and more than a little overboard when it comes to "protecting" us.

So, back to the topic.  I went outside at break today, and measured the snow.  Sitting on a picnic table, where I'm sure wind has removed some of what has fallen, I measured 14.5" in the middle.  My house, less than a 15 minute drive north of here, has had quite a bit less; in the neighborhood of 8".  My friend, who lives in another part of town, again less than 15 minutes drive away, has had over 2 feet in the past few days.  All of this is a result of living SE of Lake Ontario.  It's also not anywhere nearly as scenic as Darren's pics.

Temps have hovered right around the 20 degree mark for the past 10 days or so, dipping into the teens at night.  We're supposed to hit a slightly colder patch in the next couple of days, with highs hitting the single digits and lows going in the negative direction.  I'll take more snow over the excessive cold anytime.

[Bernd]

Well Roger, were I am I've only had to plow a couple of drifts were the wind had piled some snow. I figure if the wife can make out our 1/10 mile long driveway I really don't need to plow, but I needed some freah air. I'm starting to get Cabin Fever. Which by the way the wife says we can't go to. 

Think perhaps I'll take a few pics too and post them later tonight.

Bernd

[rleete]

6 hour drive for me, so I don't suppose I'll make it either.  You get any further on the coke bottle engine?  I had 10 days off at the end of the year, and got very little accomplished in the shop.  Just straighening up took a couple of days, and it really doesn't look much better than where you visited!

[AdeV]

I'd like to apologise to AdeV, as my above post came across as a bit snarky.  I assure you that it was not my intent.  I do think that everyone is sue happy these days, and more than a little overboard when it comes to "protecting" us.

Hey, no worries; I certainly didn't take it as snarky - in fact, it was very informative. You're absolutely right that the case is mis-represented; I certainly thought it was one of those "Americans will sue over anything" type stories; so it's educational to discover that, in fact, this wasn't the case & that genuine harm was done...

[Bernd]

6 hour drive for me, so I don't suppose I'll make it either.  You get any further on the coke bottle engine?  I had 10 days off at the end of the year, and got very little accomplished in the shop.  Just straighening up took a couple of days, and it really doesn't look much better than where you visited!

My place got messier. If you can believe that. The Coke Bottle engine has got a good layer of dust on it. 

For some reaon I haven't had any great boughts of ambition. Wifes still complaining that here cabinet isn't done.  Tells me I spend to much time on the computer. 

One project I really need to finish is my rescue boat I started. I figure I'm close to half way through. Problem is spring will be hear before you know it.  I hope. Man is it cold.

[Stilldrillin]

Very nice pics Darren! 

You live in a very interesting/ picturesque area.......

Thanks for showing!

David D

[slowcoach]

Yup, lovely pictures of your home village Darren. No such views at my end, I'm surrounded and overlooked by houses in my cul de sac.    

[tumutbound]

No snow here but I do have welsh slate on the roof so there's some connection to the thread.

[raynerd]

lol - that is a fair distance to move slate! Is welsh slate a common export/import?

[DeereGuy]

Well we got 5 inches sitting on the deck from today's snow and they predict another 4 by morning.  Looks like I will be plowing snow tomorrow evening after work.  Two drives...one...225 feet and one 280 feet..

[Bernd]

I can't take any pity on you there Bob.    My driveway is over 700 feet long. 

[DeereGuy]

Ya bugger....do you have to clean it with an open tractor......

I keep saying someday I will put a cab on it...

[Bernd]

Ya bugger....do you have to clean it with an open tractor......

I keep saying someday I will put a cab on it...

See for yourself. It's very airconditioned. 



Here's the halfway point looking east toward the main road.



Here's looking toward the west were the house will be built in the open field.



I've got an idea for a tracked snow blower.  I started a web page for it on my web site. That was 4 winters ago. I love to procrastinate in the warmer times of the year. 

If your interested the link is VW Powered Snow Blower

Bernd

[tumutbound]

lol - that is a fair distance to move slate! Is welsh slate a common export/import?

It's found in older houses here in Sydney and has been imported since the 1830s. It's still readily available here - if you've got the money to use it.
The texture is finer than most other imports and there's a wide range of natural colours.

[Darren]

Welsh slate from this town was a major worldwide export.

Can I ask what colour your slate is? Grey, blue, purple ... If it is welsh I can probably tell you exactly which quarry it came from with a few details.

[andyf]

Maybe on the outward voyages, slate was used as ballast which could be sold on arrival.

Tho' that part of Lancashire has now been lost to Cumbria, I'm Lancastrian by birth, so prefer the green Coniston slate, though it isn't quarried any more. 

Andy

[tumutbound]

Welsh slate from this town was a major worldwide export.

Can I ask what colour your slate is? Grey, blue, purple ... If it is welsh I can probably tell you exactly which quarry it came from with a few details.

It's a light grey colour once the pollution is washed off. Each tile is approx 300mm wide by 400mm long (as near as I can tell without climbing up on the roof)
The front step is also slate about 40mm thick, same colour as the roof.  House would have been built in early 1900s.
[It's not unusual for me to get cards in the letter box offering roof repairs based on what can be seen from the road. Sometimes these are just a con to get hold of the good slate and replace it with cheaper import (not sure where from), The welsh slates sell for $30 -$40 each. The neighbour a couple of years ago had some (legitimate) repairs done and the slate used is clearly inferior, you can see the layers in it. ]

And to keep this thread on topic, it's still not snowing here    [37 degrees C]

[Darren]

Has the grey got some white or green patches or spots. Or is is a flat even colour?

BTW, Layers or banding is not an indication of quality, but it can really help to identify the quarry and thus the quality.
I'm talking of banding in relation to slate colours here, not impurities such as iron or calcium which is greatly inferior as it washes out with the rain causing the slate to fail early. Very early in some cases. 

It's very cold here and the snow is not melting, more snowfall predicted ....

[sorveltaja]

Today it was pleasant -15C, and nice fresh snowy wind. And statistical experts tell it's colder than usually at this time of year .

What do they know. Back in 1987, be it january or february, temperature was -37C. For some strange reason, that kind of temperature makes you run move rather fast, at least outdoors.

[Darren]

It's very white around here this morming ..... been snowing all night and still going ....

[slowcoach]

Thought we had seen the last of that stuff 

Rob

[Bluechip]

Cold breeze here, just had a little peep of SUNSHINE 

Must be 'cos I've paid my Council Tax     

Dave BC 

[Bernd]

I now see were the snow went.  Going to be warm here this Thursady to Saturday. Hi's near 80 F (26.6C) by this weekend.

Our turn to have nice weather. 

Bernd