Sunday, January 31, 2010

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.

20 comments:

Pondside said...

In the words of one of the Winnie the Pooh stories, you had 'a 'horrible, terrible very bad day.' How's the tailbone?

Frances said...

Oh jeepers, not good, not good at all. You have written very well, and definitly conveyed all as it developed.

Wish that we could wave a wand to reverse every bit of it ... including the bit when the freezing happened.

Glad that you are undamaged.

xo

Morning's Minion said...

This sounds like some of our family's memorable outings. [And my husband wonders why I tend to be pessimistic about journeying with him!]

bayou said...

Oh dear! This winter has really been very costly to so many people! Hope that the cars are not too badly damaged. This is the type of event, one still remembers long long years later.

Annie said...

Oh bless you. You write so beautifully but I just wish, for your sake, it was all fiction. Hope your bruises soon heal and the cars get sorted with as little expense as possible.
A x

Twiglet said...

I was contemplating setting out for funday Monday but Wipso says a car is on its roof down Hope valley and our road still has a dusting of snow over the ice from yesterday. Having read of your misfortunes I think I will leave it for an hour or two at least! Hope things improve quickly for you.

rachel said...

I remember you telling me once in a comment that it was 'God's own country' where you lived. You didn't mention high farce and bruised bottoms....

Cait O'Connor said...

Oh poor you. A great post came out of it and things are on the up now? Frozen fingers crossed. Just think of that holiday in warmer climes.

Maggie Christie said...

Yep, that's a bad day indeed. I hope the bottom's not too bruised. Commiserations to all of the wounded. You wrote it so brilliantly though. I hope you get more of the good days. xx

Friko said...

I am awfully sorry, mountainear, but I just laughed and laughed, as I visualized the picture of the cars doing their graceful dancing on ice and bumping into each other and you serenely sitting on your pretty arse in the midst of all the chaos.

Sorry!

Come and join the Fridge Soup.

Eliane said...

Agreed. You made a bad day into a funny post. Shouldn't laugh, but did. Best wishes to your, your bottom and the poor cars.

Molly said...

Ow. Ouch. Glad nobody was hurt.

SmitoniusAndSonata said...

So not good ! Still , at least you had the Werthers .
Oh , and a sore behind .

Elizabeth Musgrave said...

Oh no, what an awful day! so sorry and hope the bruises are fading.
We are much the same up here - down in the valley, nothing, up here snow although not as bad as you I think. We have had much rain today and so are snowfree again.
I just hate the domino effect of disaster piling on disaster.
Sending you lots of sympathy and virtual hugs (above the bum).

Tattieweasle said...

I think a turn back the clock gizmo would be the most useful thing on the planet...gald no one was hurt but ooohhhh I do know how you felt!

Fennie said...

I should be feeling sympathy - but instead I am feeling amused at this catalogue of ill luck and certainly you will be able to dine out on it on many occasions. I trust the day is now over. (Even a journey by the Eastern Counties Railways comes to an end sometime - as they used to say) and that you have enjoyed many a relaxing swig of wine as medicine for those bruised nether regions.

snailbeachshepherdess said...

the word verif is 'sycolexa' - isn't that the bit you fell on?
Knowing that road by the Stubb I shudder at the very thought and am just glad it didnt get any worse, I shuddered there when we went to look at that property and that was the summer. Hope all mended now.

her at home said...

reminds me horribly of the fun of getting school run done in ice here not amusing ! Bon courage!

Annie said...

I have given you a special award for you beautiful writing. Please check out my blog.
A x

Pam said...

What a day! But you must be glad your car handled it okay? Like your neighbour said - everybody's okay and that's the main thing. Hope your bum doesn't hurt too much! X