Snowfall and the Roofers!

Anyone for snowballs?

This is the view through my kitchen window.

You can't see it but there's a blizzard going on! 

Snow is something I can do without. Funny how people change from loving it to hating it! For me snow is something to watch through a window whilst sitting by a roaring fire. Darn it, we don’t even have proper fires now, although some of the imitation ones are quite realistic and they do throw the heat out. But you know what’s wrong with them? There’s no ‘fire’ smell. Aah gone are the days when we sat and toasted crumpets in front of a blazing fire ... and our legs with it!

I’m looking on the bright side though. The weather might be a bit yuk but the buds showing on bushes and trees and the bluetits moving into nesting boxes make me realise that spring isn’t too far away. In fact the way time flies it will soon be here.

I can’t remember if I ever posted about the leak in the roof which was proving difficult to repair, well after months of agonising in case the water came through the newly decorated kitchen ceiling, and months of daily inspections in the loft to check on the amount of water in the dog bed (a useful water catcher in times of emergency), we finally got desperate enough to bring in the cavalry, a full blown company of roofing experts. Work commenced almost immediately, just prior to a change in the weather.

The men did manage to get in a few days work before the first snowfall came, but it only lasted a day. As I started to write this I rejoiced because the sun was shining and only the lawn showed that snow really came. I remember thinking that if this was all the snow we got I would be happy but deep down I doubted it, that’s why I was thankful that the men seemed to be super-efficient and work like Trojans ... even though they cost us a fortune in tea, milk and sugar. Enough was enough, though, when early one morning a young workman rang the bell and asked for more sugar for their tea. You know how it is, you offer them tea and they take advantage of your good nature. It worked like this:

The workforce arrived on the first day and was offered tea. Whilst accepting the offer one of them stated that they could make their own. They’d obviously spotted the kettle which I keep in the laundry area, through which they have to pass en route to the garden. As it was the first day we provided the necessary ingredients to make a nice cuppa, or rather six nice cuppas, plus mugs. Well it went on and we ended up providing those ingredients for a couple of days. Until the younger work person knocked the door and asked for more sugar. I didn’t refuse but I did say that neither Joe nor I take sugar and that we’d had to buy it specially. Ha!

Next day, they turned up with a box of tea bags, carton of milk, and a bag of sugar. I’m quite pleased since six mugs of tea necessitated the use of six tea bags each time. I was in two minds about deducting the refreshments from the bill, but decided against it...lol. At first all the mugs were left unwashed on the drainer but since the conversation about sugar one of the men has washed up and left the place tidy. I reckon they think I’m a force to be reckoned with... probably heard about the WI somewhere along the line!

The workmen have gone now and we are left to clear up the mess. It started to snow again at the end of their last day and the UK is now experiencing severe snow blizzards. What I want to know is: when do we get more rain ... after all, the new roof does need testing!