So what is a Polar vortex? & the old pergola go's down.

So what is this "Polar Vortex that's making it so cold in the USA & Canada and how does it work?
This explains how it normally ciculates over the polar region but it seesm to have slipped a little south than normal,  One of the comments to the article notes it was colder than on Mars on 1 Jan






This Sky News  story has a more graphic look to it with some good pics of the effects of the cold.  - - -



This story  had the "Were doomed" scaremongers reaching for their bibles in Moulton Northamptonshire when the normal water colour changed to a crimson red.
Environment Agency "chiefs" found the cause to be an "ink spillage" and which "has no environmental impact" but failed to disclose from where or why in the story! - - -


Commuters are going to love this one! A 60mph green speed limit is to be imposed on the M1 from Junct 28 to 35a.
The reason is, "for environmental rather than safety grounds but insisted the plan was backed by ministers"
Reading the story though its just another EU box ticking exercise to "ensure new EU guidelines on air quality will be met" - - -  oh well that's OK then! - - -




Our weather continues to misbehave to varying degrees around the UK but Sally and I set forth yesterday to dismantle the pergola in our garden.  Its has been up for years and had a few changes as we have moved things in and around it.

 The structure originally stretched all across the garden but was reduced to approx half its orginal size some years ago.  With our winter project's "cunning plan" it has to go so taking advantage of the reasonable weather yesterday we set to.
As in most projects "the best laid plans" and all that!

We have a nice laburnum on the Northern side of the structure and as it was just maturing we wanted to move it rather than destroy it.  Thinking the roots would be the usual ball I started to dig only to find they had gone out in all directions. It took over an hour to carefully dig them out.

Even taking our time there were "some casualties" but we duct taped the wounds in an attempt to limit the injuries!
Having got that and a particularly nice climbing red rose out of the way we started the dismantling.

So there we are all gone except for a couple of posts which will be utilised later in the project.  The new land we bought recently is more or less anything in view on the far side and to the left of the posts - - - watch this space!

Enjoy the day

Follow this link to see  our weather website

Or this one just to see  the streaming birdfeeder cam