h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Normal service will be resumed as soon as my wind chime aligns with true north.

Ready for spring John?

I like to think that spring will not find me unprepared when it arrives.

How about yourself? Are you looking forward to getting out in the garden?

Hi, John, sorry for butting in but it was nice to see you here again. You have had some pretty eventful weather haven't you

For the UK we have too, though nothing to compare with yours! I am looking forward to Spring, and getting out in the garden to repair the damage done by the birds and animals who have wintered with us. At least they have kept the lawn short so that won't need cutting for a while.

Websailor

Love means never having to say you're sorry. So does being big. You certainly need never say sorry for popping in.

We have had some very strange weather this winter: mild one day and freezing the next... and lots of snow. There seems to be some very odd things taking place on the weather map all over.

Have you seen any new winter visitors with the changing climate?

John, at this time of year we get quite a few winter visitors, and strange weather does tend to bring odd things. There was a wood duck swimming on our canal in the city centre the other day. No-one knows if it got here by accident or is an escapee from a collection. We seem to be getting unusual things in the seas around us too with the water warming.

Quite a few species seem to be making a home here, and not all of them are welcome

We have only had a sprinkle of snow, but some very cold frosty days with thick ice on ponds, lakes and waterways. Water in our birdbaths was a couple of inches thick. Quite unusual in the middle of England.

We have been watching a fascinating series of programmes here, from Canada, called 'The Ice Truckers'. They are hauling goods along the Winter Road in the Northern Territories, to the diamond mines in temperatures -35-40º below. It has made quite an impact here I can tell you. Watching them drive over frozen lakes is really not good for the blood pressure, so what theirs must be like I dread to think.

Now that's what I call winter weather

Websailor

I have a friend who used to drive trucks on frozen rivers and lakes for a living. Recent winters have been a problem for drivers and for the communities they supply because they have been too mild for the ice to support the traffic safely.

In our area, where the majority of Canadians huddle in the relatively mild climate, the ice is often too dangerous to drive on more because of salt run-off from the city streets than because of the temperature.

That's interesting. I think the next episode sees a truck sink or something. Several have gone down holes in the ice. Very, very scary. I wonder what the diamond mines will do if climate change really does melt the ice in the way they are forecasting? It doesn't bear thinking about, because they are already taking unacceptable risks just for the money.

It will put a lot of people of of work. And it sure shows why my diamonds are so expensive.

Websailor

Aren't we supposed to be buying our diamonds from Sierra Leone again?

... Not that I can afford any.

We're replacing the deer fence this spring so no, not looking forward to spring.

One of the dear deers decided instead of attempting to vault it, the direct smashing into it approach was a better plan. It didn't get into the garden, but it bent some supports that will need to be replaced and sunk deep into the earth.

We've been suffering through a Virginia-type winter here in south-central Pennsylvania - lots of freezing rain and ice-type precipitation instead of the usual snow. Our folks can almost handle snow, but ice is simply out of the question.

No idea! Me neither I just have my Mum's wartime engagement ring, which was a rough cut industrial diamond. If she had known she would have been mortified

Websailor

Hello John How nice to see you around.

We're about to head into what is laughingly called autumn here. We don't really have four seasons, but two big ones with about four weeks between, when temperatures can be anything from mid-summer to mid-winter.

We've also had the strangest weather. It's been the wettest summer on record for much of the State - and we've had rain pretty much every day since Christmas. Big storms as well.

But over the weekend, we suddenly had a day of 46C as the wind came off the continent. The last time I felt so hot was in a sauna

I am definitely looking forward to spring/winter, when the temps are around 24C daytime (and cold 17C-ish at night, which I complain about bitterly) - and we should have much less rain. I shall be thankful for that...

Jimi - do you have to replace the entire deer fence and what are the posts made of?

Hello Websailor: fancy seeing you here

Fb