We had our first frost today. It was very late this year. If I’d been a better diarist over the years I would be able to compare it properly, but can’t. Tonight, a day late, I put the cover on my windscreen to prevent it frosting up. It probably won’t freeze now, though they were gritting roads tonight so the council must expect it. We’ve been lucky so far but, realistically, winter hasn’t really started yet.
I’m spending my evenings daydreaming about the house I will build if I win the lottery. This isn’t the one in an air-conditioned bubble in the desert, this is the slightly mor realistic one with ground source heat pumps, solar panels, a windmill and lots of insulation. I’ve not decided whether to build it into the side of a hill yet, but will probably have a garage I can drive straight into. And a narrow gauge railway for taking the bins to the bottom of the drive.
This, of course, relies on a larger win that my normal disappointing wins of between Ā£2 and Ā£5. It always seems like I’ve used all my luck up with one of those wins, when I would rather save all my luck up for one big win. Sadly, the laws of probability don’t seem to work like that. It’s a bit like good luck charms – if that “lucky” rabbit’s foot was really that lucky it would still be attached to a rabbit.
I’ve just been looking at my household insurance renewal. We have never claimed on it and it has just gone up by 25%. The broker I use lost my car insurance business with an outlandish renewal price a couple of years ago and it looks like they are heading the same way with the house now. There’s something distinctly unsavoury about insurance companies and the way prices rise at random. The problem I always have at this time of year is that I’m too busy to mess around with quotes so I tend to nod it through. To be fair their prices have always been reasonable, but this move is a bit steep.
I’ll give them another year, but after that it looks like it will be the end. Once an insurance broker loses your trust, the end is not far away.
Frosted bamboo
Photos are from December 2017 – a colder winter.
I sympathise with your insurance rise problem. My car insurance people actually sent me a letter saying that i could probably get cheaper insurance elsewhere. The fanciful idea that market forces will always lead to lower prices is obviously just that, fanciful. I should be one of these keen price shoppers who change everything every year but it makes me cry just thinking about it.
I generally have a low opinion of insurance companies. But even worse than the thought of being ripped off is the thought of all the hassle of comparing and moving, and finding that the new company is no better.
The frosty photos are beautiful, Simon. We are back into rain here, though a cold rain.
Prices have soared here as well. Often seems there is no reason for it, just an excuse to charge more.
Yes, and they are fast to go up and slow to come down.
Cold rain? I think I’ll stick to frost, thank you. š
Beautiful frosty pictures! Your idea of a dream house pretty much matches my idea. Except for the narrow gauge railway. š
Would it make a difference if I suggested mounting a snow blower on the railway?
Now there’s a thought!
It could be fun!
Two good pictures which could have been from down here yesterday
Yes, suddenly it was winter, wasn’t it? My ideal year would feature temperatures around 70 degrees while I watched winter on TV.
The reason your winter is late is because it is down here. In North NSW is is high 30s and in Tasmania it is snowing. Someone should tell them to do something.
Satellites always took the blame in my younger days. My grandmother was very big on Sputnik being the cause of wet summers. AS far as I know, American satellites didn’t do bad things to the weather.