There are all sorts of news reports about Storm Goretti. For example: “Storm Goretti live: rail services suspended, flights cancelled and schools closed across UK as 380,000 homes in France lose power.” My brother-in-law sent us a heads-up message a couple of days ago, warning that we might have bad snow here, as we are almost at the foothills of the Pennines.
Well, we have had snow but nothing like what was predicted! And nothing like the snow we have had in years past, when we were actually snowed in and traffic was at a standstill. We shall see what the next few days bring!
So we have the usual moans about the fact that other countries deal better with cold weather than we do, probably because they can reliably expect to get bad weather at certain times of the year. Consequently they have laws about car drivers having winter tyres or having chains they can fit on their car wheels to give them extra traction on i icy roads. We, however, are always taken by surprise and just muddle through! But according to this article, the Netherlands, once apparently known for its ability to cope with winter is now “forgetting’ how to do so. In particular, their much vaunted cycle lanes are being neglected in snowing conditions. Another consequence of climate change!
Yesterday I went to collect the two smallest grandchildren from school, as I usually do on a Thursday. I set off in plenty of time and discovered that there was major disruption to my regular bus service. Because of road works on a section of the route, the buses were doing a major diversion, adding some 30 minutes to a normal 15 minute journey. There were no warning notices at the bus stop; I gleaned my information from another potential traveller and realised that it corresponded with my experience returning from Uppermill on Wednesday.
So when an alternative bus service turned up, one that detours through several Saddleworth villages, I hopped on board, confident that it would get me to my destination in plenty of time. Big mistake! All went well, until we got to Diggle village, where there were at least 6 lots of traffic lights in operation, only one of them permanent. Between traffic lights and parked vehicles causing mayhem, my bus progressed in fits and starts, with me getting more and more stressed as time went by. Had I been able to foresee this I might have set off earlier and walked all the way.
Children duly collected, if rather later than planned, we waited some 15 minutes for a bus, which did indeed take us back to Delph via a circuitous route. There is something disconcerting about travelling on an unusual route in the dark of a rather foggy late afternoon, very difficult to ascertain quite where you are and if you are approaching your stop!
We arrived home only minutes before my daughter arrived to join us for tea. We sat and chatted, sipping coffee and finishing off the Christmas cake, when someone decided to check on the progress on Storm Goretti. Yes, it was snowing! Yes, the snow was sticking! Time for my daughter and her offspring to make their way homeward before the roads became impassible.
And maybe they were impassible in the late hours of the night but this morning is just cold and damp, possibly icy underfoot but really only moderately wintery for around here!
Thinking of ICE, that organisation seems to have outdone itself, shooting someone in her car. I have seen reports that suggest she was simply i the wrong place at the wrong time and did not move out of the way of the ICE operatives quickly enough. Also, I have seen reports that they refused to allow a doctor or first-aider to go and check on the car driver after she was shot. Quite a strange country!
And here’s a report from Haaretz:
“Israeli MK Calls to Suspend Clinical Training for Palestinian Medical Students From West Bank, East Jerusalem
As Limor Son Har-Melech, who heads the Knesset Health Committee claims Palestinian students from what she calls 'incubators of terrorism' in the West Bank displace Israeli students in clinical training positions, the health ministry presents data showing core hospital departments are far below training capacity.”
It seems that denying medical attention one way or another is another way of organising life.
To counteract the doom and gloom of current news items, here’s a link to a more uplifting article about a family in Gaza who managed to plant and maintain a garden in the midst of chaos: “As the Israeli bombs fell, my family committed an act of rebellion: we planted a garden in Gaza”.
Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!
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