Good Days/Bad Days.

There are good days and there are bad not-so-good days. Today has been one of the latter.

Example of a Good Day:

...the trio of bantams are found a new home.

...a holiday in the sun is booked. Effortlessly.

...the hens lay 8 eggs.

...the sun shines. The snow twinkles and glitters. Later the moon is full.

...the lovely H & S arrive to stay for the night with only a minor weather related hiccup. Hurrah!

Example of a Bad Day

...the Glam Ass. phones from Oswestry en route to Chester. He is in a blizzard and advises Taking Great Care. Also be warned, Leighton Bank - our local icy hazard - is passable but only with more Great Care. Note bene.

...the Glam Ass. phones from Chester where the fan belt has broken on his pick-up, leaving him without brakes or various other essential bits of a working engine. The pick-up has been driven slowly and with great care to Kwit Fit for repairs which cannot be done until Monday at the earliest. The Glam Ass. is left without a vehicle and must catch a train back to either Shrewsbury or Welshpool. Will I pick him up at the station? Of course. He spends his 3 hour icon painting class contemplating either his misfortune in having a crock of a car or good fortune in having a helpful wife.

...the snow clouds which dumped on Oswestry move south to the small mountain kingdom of Trelystan. Our blanket of snow get an inch thicker. We decide to move H & S's Punto off the mountain while we are still able - and from here on in things go horribly wrong....

...we go in convoy - making quite a good start. No problems with the Audi but the Punto gets stuck on a slope, slithering all over the show. I park up and come to help. Snow has fallen on ice and is now compacted. I fall on my arse. Oomf!

I had broken the No.1 rule learned at my father's knee; always carry a shovel. I had a bag of dog food, 9 Sainsbury's 'Bags for Life' and emergency Werthers but nothing to shift gravel with. Amazingly Powys had topped up the grit heaps and hands make great impromtu shovels. Thanks to the kind family who whizzed up efficiently in their Subaru Impreza and joined in the fun. We would have been there yet. And so would they as we were blocking the road.

...We go down the Stubb - a route which, due to being sheltered by a plantation of conifers, can usually be relied on to be fairly ice free. We creep down over another layer of snow over ice. Oh dear - while the Audi creeps down, in my rear view mirror I see the Punto sliding, sliding, sliding, sideways, sideways and...Boomph! it hits the bank and bounces to hit the verge on the other side and come to rest neatly across the road. This is not good. I park and walk up the hill to erm, survey the damage.

...I fall on my arse. Ooof!

...Everyone curses a lot.

...Phone most excellent neighbours who turn out to help - although by this time H has managed to move the car and edge it down the slope to another layby from where I think he doesn't want to move it until at least mid-summer. Our neighbours slither into view, almost repeating the Punto's manoeuvre but luckily ending up in a passing place at the side of the road. There is much discussion about how to proceed - eventually H creeps down the hill further until he is on relatively solid ground.

...Meanwhile another car come slithering down the Stubb and with inexorable precision, at the very last moment, slithers and slides and twists and with a mighty BANG! goes wham into the back of our neighbour's car - and comes to rest neatly across the road, bumper flapping. 'This' says the driver 'is the last thing I need.'

...We all survey our respective damaged vehicles. What sorry sights. A wounded Punto, Suzuki and a Vauxhall. I can't speak for anyone else but know that I was thinking that a journey which should have taken a maximum of 15 minutes was now complicated beyond belief with the prospect of insurance companies and body shops - how I wish I could have turned the clock back. I am so sad it happened. Our neighbours were sanguine about the whole affair and commented 'The main thing is nobody was hurt' - and that's true and worth remembering.

...Remembered to go and collect the Glam Ass. from the train station. Come down from the Long Mountain into the valleys on either side and find, while not exactly tropical, the roads and fields are clear. It is hard to believe that snow has fallen. Enjoy the sensation of being on terra firma/tarmac. Home, however is at the top of the hill and only reached by crossing those icy lanes again. I went very, very, carefully and once in decided to stay put.

This was not a particularly good day -  do hope yours was better.