If we want to avoid icy pavements the answer is to quit moaning and get out there and shift the snow now - immediately.
With a deep freeze coming up on Wednesday night this will freeze solid all compacted snow.
My approach is to shift it before it is trodden or driven on! So I was out there last night and have done the same again this morning.
Unfortunately the stuff down now is slushy and not so easy to brush but a shovel will work easily.
My approach will be to clear paths just one foot wide now - it only takes a few minutes and is good fun! You might even meet the neighbours andhave a snowball fight with a few kids!
Then follow up with rock salt (which I've still half a bag full) on the parts that are cleared when what remains starts to freeze. It's a waste of the precious stuff to sprinkle it on snow - it gets too dilute.
In the mean time any snow that falls gets either brushed off or shovelled. In less than half an hour 50 yards can easily be cleared.
No point in moaning now.
Instead get the satisfaction of being in charge ourselves and discovering what a few people working together can achieve!
There's no comparisom in the feeling of spending 30 minutes trying to get others to do something and that of spending 30 mins doing it yourself if you can.
7 comments:
Good stuff Geoff ,just one little thing - the majority of people have to go to work and we expect the people who are paid to keep roads open to do THEIR job so that we can go and do ours. I've noticed that many retired people think that everyone else is retired ! I'm not - yet !
I partially agree with your comment.
When I was working as a teacher, I still found time to do something else before going to work.
Also I 'work' far longer hours than I used to when I worked. I remember just how many hours were used watching "Neighbours".
I very rarely watch anything now except for the good discussion programs, documentaries and the occasional art program. Even Match of the Day has slid off my spectrum!
Well, my son was out last night clearing paths all around the house. My hubby is out clearing the last lot. But that does not help the ice on the road, which we have to cross. My son tried to find rock salt for the last two days (he scraped half a bucket from the corners of a bin), but we eventually ended up sifting ashes (given to us) to throw on the ice. Now that is covered over.
In all the years we have lived here, I can only remember a gritting lorry coming once. But we'll get by one way or another.
As for the comment that some folk have to go to work. At our last home, we had a really heavy fall of snow overnight. Instead of us neighbours all getting out our shovels (as was usual), my son borrowed the local farmer's tractor and cleared the length of our road (hill) for us all to get to the main road and to work — and on time!
Slightly off-topic but I am sure you agree that it's getting harder to find anything worth watching on tv.The best thing over Xmas were the Great Railway Journeys and even they were infested with b-list celebs !
Tried to buy rock salt today but 3 places out of stock . TP's may have more this week.
A.R. Thanks for going off topic. It would be good finding out what people think of TV and giving them feedback.
Great to know where we can get rock salt if it appears before the next bit of warm weather.
Any info available?
Will post as soon as our local bin gets filled.
See grit update!
Gladys,
Great to hear of tales of people helping themselves.
It's a great feeling.
The present conditions are particularly difficult because of the wet conditions that then freeze into smooth ice.
I imagine there are others that have persevered into work and had a really hard time traveling.
Unable to get rock salt but found a cheaper alternative ,ballast ,(a mixture of sand and grit normally used for mixing concrete ) .Cheap at only £1-40 a bag. It won't melt ice but it gives good grip on my inclined driveway. Better than nowt !
Well done A.R.
This approach is the most sensible option with salt unavailable.
A. Where are you buying it?
B. Any suggestions for alternatives?
C. Anyone you know stranded?
D. This weather is a great chance for us all to work together.
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