Wednesday, February 04, 2009

Snowballs on Ice


Just a snapshot in Canon Hill Park yesterday. (For the Cocktail, see below!) I was lucky enough to be able to spend the day in the snow with both my boys. One had the day off anyway, and the Birmingham schools were closed, too. Apparently, the Midlands were least affected by the snow, and nice as it was, it has to be said: it wasn't a lot. This amount would never warrant 'no school' in Germany. Mind you, the kids would be able to enjoy it anyway, with lessons finishing at 1:30 the latest. (Unless you go to a Gesamtschule , a school based on a Comprehensive; and there aren't many of those about.)
It is a source of never ending amusement to me, how there's method in this madness of maintaining the myth that it never snows in this country. Not often enough to have enough snow ploughs anyway, or any other policies concerning snow. I'm not complaining!! If this were Germany, I would have been forced last night to go out (again) and remove all snow and ice from the pavement in front of the house. As a house-owner, or a resident of a ground-floor flat, it's your liability if someone slips and injures themselves.
I think it's also law by now that, during the months of October to April (or thereabouts), cars have to change their tyres to the winter variety. Whereas here, they gave me a look normally reserved for the mentally insane, when I inquired about winter tyres!

For the Cocktail,
you need 2 shots of advocaat over ice in a long-drink glass, top up with lemonade.

Did you know that 'advocaat' is so-called because it was originally made from avocados? Want to make your own advocaat? You can check it out in an old post of mine: December 2005 - Was mache ich mit dem Eigelb? (What do I do with the egg yolk?)
[I wish I could just link it, but alas, that's far too technical for little me....] [edit, 02/09]


3 comments:

Joanna said...

I like the idea of winter tyres being compulsory, and that people are responsible for "their" stretch of pavement - here, people don't do it any more, because they're afraid they'll be sued if they don't do it properly. SO stupid.

And, I'd just like to remind you that it was YOU that told me how to make a link in a post, the very first time we met. I was most impressed, and have been linking like mad ever since :)

Joanna

Zabeena said...

Hmm, yes, I can link a website if I know their address. (Something's happened on this PC, there is no 'back' button any more, and I can't see any addresses unless I go back to 'google' and copy it from there.)As for linking from within my blog, I have a feeling the entry would have to have its own URL/Tag/address (or whatever it's called), and I don't think I've got that set up...
One day I'll manage to tidy everything up... I hope...

Anonymous said...

Wow I can't believe the whole thing has frozen over. It must be really cold where you all. Down here in the South it's not much more than a bit of sleet and sludge at times.