Beast from the East Can Piss Off Already

The little dragon there is perched on my deck. It’s snowed another four or five inches since. At this point it was about five inches already. THIS IS ENGLAND! IT’S NOT SUPPOSED TO SNOW THIS MUCH!

I know, I know, everyone is talking about the snow in the UK, and rightfully snow because this is some Midwest snow right here. There’s a reason I never traveled east when I lived in the states during the winter.

Life In the Caravan

The photos I’m sharing right now are pretty and nice and rather pleasant. But these were from two days ago, when the snow was pretty and nice and rather pleasant. Now it’s swirling around in a bitter wind, finding ways into the caravan so it is actually snowing in our kitchen, and freezing our pipes.

Yeah, we have had no water for two days because our pipes are frozen. That means no brushing teeth, no showers, no doing dishes, boiling water (you know, no coffee), and no flushing the toilet. Though, in remedy of the latter, I had the brilliant idea last night to put some of the snow in the toilet system so that it would melt.

It is so cold in this caravan that it did not melt. We have a heater in our bedroom and so that is where we stay.

My partner went out to go do farm stuff (feeding animals and the like), and his boots which came inside with him yesterday still had snow on them, and had frozen to the carpet. He went outside, came back in and said that the snow was up to his knees.

And it is still bloody snowing

One of the dogs just vanished in the snow, only his little nose poking up. Scruff, who’s a long-haired lurcher is light enough she doesn’t sink as bad. But when she came in I heard her little teeth chattering.

Our oven is all gass. I tried to melt some snow to turn to water for the dogs. Because the gas is condensed due to the low temperatures, it too fifteen minutes to melt snow in a pan over fire. I was hoping I could melt more snow to put in the back of the toilet so we could at least flush it. No such luck. Or rather, no such patience.

And, insult to injury, as I was dishing up the last of our chili last night, I leaned over, reaching for something, and my hair, a good two inches of it, went right into my chili. There is no water for me to wash my tomato-soaked locks.

Driving

And to top it all off, I don’t think I can drive my car out in this. Which means that I can’t go to the grocery store. I have to get to work tonight, somehow (My bosses are just on the other side of the field and have a 4×4, so I think I can blag them into picking me up).

My partner was able to get it up the lane from ours, which left some lovely pretty patterns in the snow, but even where it’s parked now at the ‘top of the farm’, I don’t think I could get my car driving. I’ve been keenly watching traffic reports and it seems like only the A roads are getting seen to and city roads. Which means not our road with it’s 3 mile drive to any sort of ‘proper’ road. I hear one of the land rovers’ wheels were spinning trying to get down the drive yesterday. Today is worse.

Though I suppose my transportation situation isn’t all bad. I have a couple essays I should be writing (if anyone wants to help me out with rhyming theory in poetry, that would be swell), a project I’m getting going (I’ve had a student respond and express interest, so yay! That’s one person!), and a couple short stories I’m writing for some contests so I can maybe get some extra cash.

Durham University

Whatsmore, most of the University seems to be mostly closed in Durham as well. I’ve already had my entire schedule today cancelled due to the snow.

I’m pretty concerned regarding uni though. Last week’s strike days were Thursday and Friday, this week’s were Monday-Wednesday. Today and tomorrow aren’t meant to be striked days, but I already missed out on classes last week because of it. Now I’m missing out on lectures because of the snow.

The best I can do is just use this time to stop blogging (ha!) and focus on studying for exams in May.

Though it is looking like this won’t be the last of the snow.

P.S.

Please don’t think I’m unhappy. I’m annoyed, of course, as anyone would be. But I actually love my living situation, and while this experience is obnoxious, it’s a good experience that I can call on at a later time for writing, to laugh about, or whatever. I’m actually extremely grateful for my living situation and everything that’s going on.

I just don’t do snow.

• beast from the east
• durham
• durham university
• farm life
• frozen pipes
• life in a caravan
• north england
• north yorkshire winter
• snow
• snowed in
• storm emma