Shovels

A bit windy today which is making the snow fall off the trees. This is particularly funny when a poodle is underneath. Blue skies, no more snow, though there was a bit of a flurry late in the day and Mirinda reports light snow in London.

I’ve had quite a concentrated day, staring at philosophy books and trying to make sense of Theodor Adorno and Jacques Derrida, two 20th century philosophers with an inability to write in coherent sentences! Well, coherent to me, anyway. A chap called Buckland isn’t much better with his “Before we can have a philosophy of information, we first need to figure out what we mean by information…” It’s all making me a bit crazy so updating the blog is a welcome relief from it.

My walk into Farnham was much like yesterday though I note, with genuine pleasure, that our council has done a splendid job in salting the footpaths leading into town. From what I could see, the path leading up to the station is still as treacherous as it always is but Hale Road is a nice slushy walk. Pity about the melting icicles creating pools of ice at the doors of some shops but you can’t have everything.

I have noticed a lot of people carrying shovels in their cars. I spotted one driver, slowly progressing along an untreated road who, in trying to turn into a driveway, stopped as the wheels of her car slipped and slid, lacking in any traction. She immediately jumped out of the driver’s side, shovel in hand and started to dig her tyres out of the ice. And very effective she was too. In no time, she’d cleared all her wheels, jumped back in and continued on her way. And she wasn’t the only one. I must have seen at least ten drivers digging themselves free in Castle Street. I should say that in all the advice I’ve heard about travelling in snow (always carry extra clothes, water, food, etc) not once have I seen a shovel mentioned and yet, it’s so obvious when you think about it.

Speaking of shovels, our crazy neighbour was outside this afternoon, clearing the road from the park down to his house – he is two from the end. It looks very odd because the rest of the road is still covered with about five inches of ice. I’m not sure what he did with all the snow. Maybe he’s going to do some more tomorrow and keep going until he has the entire road cleared. Actually, I do know why he’s done it. It’s so cars can turn around without slipping and sliding into the parked cars, our road being a dead end, and all. So, not so crazy. Though I would prefer a sign at the other end saying “Do not park in this street, it is ice-bound and you won’t get out again” seeing as it’s been so nice and quiet this week without them.

And talking of quiet…we haven’t had a postal delivery since Tuesday. Whatever happened to the Royal Mail creed? No matter the weather, the mail must get through! Ha! Oh, how standards have dropped. Whatever happened to people working together against adversity?

Which reminds me of an awful story in the local paper this week. Apparently, a lot of people came home on Wednesday to find their cars covered in snow in the station carpark (as well as the carpark itself) and couldn’t drive home. They must have made their ways home somehow, with the thought of returning for the cars later. Well, first thing Thursday morning, there’s a guy putting tickets on all the windows because their tickets had run out! When asked why (and remember, the ice and snow was still there) he said his employer had told him to do it. What a jobsworth. And the emergency services saying it is dangerous to drive. I hope none of them pay the fines and, instead, go round the boss’s house and paste the tickets to his head.

Oh well, I have rested long enough and must return to Messrs Adorno, Derrida, Floridi and Buckland…