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

>If you put leashes on enough cats and hook them up to a stuck car, they could pull it out of the snow<

Caterpillar tracks do grip better in the snow.





sowwy, I'll get me coat now.

>Zenadu
- hadn't heard that term for the Gingerbread house before.

Was going to suggest gin, too. And of course, as in A76213 tonic just lives on the top shelf of the freezer, right?

And lastly, as to winter predictions (from the Tell Us a Joke thread somewhere):

A tribe of native Indians asked their Chief one autumn if the coming winter was going to be cold or not. As he had no real idea of the answer, the chief replied that the winter was going to be cold, and that the members of the village should collect wood to be prepared for a cold winter.

However , being a good leader, he then went to the nearest pay-phone and called the National Weather Service and asked, "Is this winter to be cold?" The man at the other end responded, "Yes, we think that this winter will indeed be quite cold."

With that, the Chief went back to tell his people to collect even more wood, so as to be prepared. A week later he called the National Weather Service again, to check on the forecast "Is it going to be a very cold winter?"

"Yes", the wheather-man replied, "we're pretty sure it's going to be a very cold." So the Chief went back to his people and ordered them to go and find every scrap of wood they can find.

Two weeks later he returned to the pay-phone and called the National Weather Service again "Look, are you absolutely sure that the winter is going to be very cold?"

"Absolutely, we made a study " the weather man replied,
"How can you be so sure?" asked the Chief
"Well, scientifically it's difficult but the Indians are collecting wood like crazy !"

We used to stock up on tea and UHT milk. General feeling, we, being British, even if we are abroad, can get through ANYTHING as long as we're allowed five cups of tea a day.

Food tended to get a bit Thing in a Bag From The Second Layer in the Chest Freezer during a good hard snow-in in the mountains. It was almost invariably courgette soup.

I'm on the absolute flip side of this, making my Summer preparations.

1. Garden hose sufficient to reach to all parts of the property, in good repair.

2. Long sleeved shirt of natural fibres, full length trousers of natural fibre, fully enclosed non-slip shoes - all for wearing if and when there's a fire and I try to defend the property.

3. Sufficient rag for blocking all downpipes so I can fill them and the roof gutters with water.

4. All essential documents where I can get them in a hurry. (ID, insurance papers, mortgage papers, my Will.)

5. Straightforward evacuation plan, if needed. (That is - pick up essential items and a change of clothes and just get out of here.)

It feels a bit melodramatic, but in 2003 about a third of this suburb was burnt out in an hour. So I need to take these things seriously.

I think I'll read the snow preparation details again. They're oddly soothing.

I'm on the flip flop flip side. We're 6 weeks from summer solstice and in the grip of a two day antarctic blast that's dropping snow across the country. Just on the mountains though, no real drama for most people (farmers will be concerned though). It's very cold though

I should be preparing for something, like an earthquake, but I'm not (I do keep a torch and cell phone beside the bed now, on the floor because in the big quakes that's where they're going to end up anyway. If you're lucky).

In the car, you might want to add a blanket or two, a pair of wellies and a working torch. If you put things in the boot, can you get into the boot from the inside of the car. If you're stuck somewhere and the weather is very foul, you may not want to go out of the car to get things from the boot.

Make the torch a wind up one, and get some of those hand warmer things too keep them in a glove compartment.

You don't know when you might have to spend the night in your car. Be prepared for the worst.

mini