This last week, it has been simply too cold to spend time on board, as well as being too dangerous in our current harbour. Owing to the position of Vereeniging, I need to cross quite a gap to reach her and then walk over the top of the hatches to step down onto the decks. When the weather is freezing as it has been, the tarpaulin that covers the hatches becomes slippery, and with no handrail it's treacherous, especially with a small dog in tow.
So, to my sadness, I have to stay away in these conditions. In fact, we haven't spent a night on board since before Christmas and I'm beginning to have withdrawal symptoms.
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| We have to step onto the tarpaulin-covered hatches before walking over them to reach the deck |
However, the days are lengthening now and we can but hope that the frosty nights will diminish too. I'm looking forward to spending some time de-greening the rubbing rail and just being on the water again. When I start dreaming of being on board during the night, odd though some of those dreams might be, I know the need to return to my watery lair is assuming urgent proportions.
In the meantime, the really cold days have been magical in their own way. We've had such a shortage of sunshine this winter, even the sub zero temperatures couldn't remove the delight of crunching over the crusty frost and seeing long shadows instead of huge puddles.
The creek we can see from the back of the house was completely frozen over, something that doesn't happen all too often, although the ice wasn't thick enough for skating, nor will it be. The temperature today has soared and is a comfortable 11℃. Here, then are some of my photos of our chilly, but lovely walks. After all, who knows when we'll have such blue skies again?
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| View onto a farm barn |
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| Just Zoe, sitting on the frosty path |
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| The village pond, completely frozen over |
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| The creek (prounce Krake in Dutch) |
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| A knotty willow that will obscure the farm on the other side in the summer |
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| A view I like. By the way, the white stuff is snow on the ice |
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| Zoe doing doggy stuff |
These last two photos below are of earlier in the morning as the sun was rising. I love the view we have of the creek. Even if I can't be on the water, I need to be near it and our outlook is particularly lovely.
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| The view from our back window early on above and below |
So that's it for this week, allemaal. Hopefully, there'll be more news to share next time, but I confess we've mostly been huddled down indoors while it's been so cold. I am part of the way through efforts to stop the rising damp in our kitchen wall at the moment, but that has also had to be put on hold because of the icy conditions. One cannot work with concrete in such temperatures, so planning has moved to the inside of the wall for now. More on that when the job is done, however.
Stay warm (or cool) wherever you are. Tot ziens!
Hi Val - when I see bad weather here ... and its movement - I think of you ... as it's usually worse after its North Sea crossing! I'm glad I'm in relative warmth ... and am happy to see the sun - more will follow In know. Equally I'm glad I'm not worrying about rising damp and unbidden concrete!!! I do hope it'll warm up enough soon - so you can get back to your on-water sleeps! Happy New Year and cheers - Hilary
ReplyDeleteAh, thank you, Hilary. It was quite a storm last night, I must say, but the only damage was a tile on the wall that was loose anyway. Yes, the warmer weather and the sunshine will come, I know. I wish it for us both. Oh and Happy 2024 to you too!
DeleteWhat lovely day for a walk Val, even if it was freezing cold. 🥶 Thank you so much for sharing this interesting blog and beautiful photos with us.🥰
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you so much for commenting on my blog, Lorraine. I'm always so pleased to see your comments. I'm glad you liked the photos too! xxx
DeleteAww...sweet dreams and may you soon be back on the water you love! Thanks for the pictures...although they made me shiver! Glad you have some sunshine. We have had 3 days solid of strong winds, showers - some including painful hail - and cold. So glad Zoe does okay on the frost and ice! She's a sweetheart. Thanks for another uplifting blog. (Steph)
ReplyDeleteOh Steph, I feel for you. We are back to the rain, hail and wind again. It was lovely to have a break from it!
DeleteEven in the icy conditions it's a beautiful place for a walk. Like you as long as it's dry you can wrap up warmly. Zoe looks as if she enjoys her outings. Hope the weather improves so you can get back to spending time on the Vereeniging.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Rebecca. It was good to be out without the rain and wind!
DeleteHi Val, firstly I’m doing a test to see if my browser will let me comment as Anonymous. It’s Dale!
ReplyDeleteIt works, Dale! Comment on, my friend. Xxx
DeleteIt is so humidly hot over here in New South Wales right now that I almost long for some of your cold and frost (note: almost!). I see Zoe is checking her pee-mails—good for her, sweet little doggie!
ReplyDeleteAh, I definitely think we should do a trade. I'll take some of your heat in return for some of our frost! I'm just trying to think which of my friends in New South Wales you might be, though. Thank you very much for the comment in any event! I do love to receive them here.
DeleteBrrr. It has been a chilly winter. Here in Georgia, we've been breaking records on low temps. And windy! Whew. Stay warm, safe, and healthy. Xxoo
ReplyDeleteGoodness, Patti, there too!? I never imagined it would be cold in Georgia. You stay warm and safe too, my friend! Xxx
DeleteHi Val, good to see Zoe out enjoying a walk wearing a snazzy bright coat. I understand you missing being out on the water, during Covid I just wanted to be BESIDE the water fishing. We didn't know how long it would last but during the warm summer weather it was hard. When we were allowed to get out & about other things things prevented me going fishing and I've never returned. Spring will be here soon, I'm anticipating hearing of your first trip on the boat.
ReplyDeleteWeather here is "changeable", we're just getting over the 9nth storm of the winter and I guess you have been getting them too.
Love the photo's, blue skies make such a difference. Take Care, David.
Good to see you, David. Isn't it strange how Covid changed our habits so much? I wonder if you'll go back to fishing eventually. It might be more difficult now you have Popcorn. I used to do a lot of things that Covid changed and having Zoe prevents me from resuming some of them. Life just changes, I suppose. We too seem to have had storm after storm. I've lost count, but I'm guessing we've had most of the ones you've had too. We deserve a lovely dry spring, don't we?
ReplyDeleteIt's great to see those icy-cold days with blue sky - much preferable to the seemingly endless rain and named storms which have plagued us. Back onboard soon, hopefully. 🙏
ReplyDeleteThe blue skies and sunshine were real uplifters for a few days, Aidan. It's been grey and gloomy again today, but thankfully, dry. Yes, hopefully we'll be back onboard again before long, as long as it doesn't freeze again! Wishing you some more great walks!
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