Excuse the pun.
I thought I'd better write something about the insane amounts of snow we've been having here recently. It was getting pretty crazy when I left for England, but since I've been away the snow has just kept on piling up to ridiculous levels. The snow in Asahi is a good metre or so high at the moment, and in the mountains to the east it's well over that (check out Sam's blog, thefunkydrummer, to see what I mean).
It's not just Fukui either - the whole of the northern Sea of Japan coast is getting record snowfall, and it's causing a fair few problems, as you can imagine. It's getting so bad now that people have begun going up onto their roof to clear the snow off, as they're worried that the roof might collapse. This is a fairly common practice further north in Japan in places like Niigata, where the snow regularly tops a couple of metres, but it's almost unheard of in Fukui.
And now I'm starting to worry too. My neighbours have already been up onto their roofs to clear snow a couple of times, but I've yet to follow suit. I have several reasons:
1) There's no bloody way you're going to get me on that roof. Surely it's more dangerous to go larking about on a slippery roof in wellies than to wait for the roof to fall in. I'm playing the numbers game here: several people have died in Fukui already this winter after falling off their roofs whilst shovelling snow, but I've yet to hear of anyone who's died after their roof fell in whilst they were enjoying a cup of tea and a biscuit by the fire.
2) I've a sneaking suspicion that it's more likely I'd be falling through the roof rather than the snow. I'm keen to avoid any Frank Spencer-style pratfalls.
3) I don't have a ladder.
So there you have it, the snow is staying where it is. Although I have to admit I'm a little anxious: I read in the paper that a square metre of freshly fallen snow weighs about 100kg, but once it compacts and turns to ice it can weigh twice that, and even as much as 300kg...
Should I risk it? Would it be safer to brave the roof? Answers below please.
9 comments:
Is salt or chemical de-icing a possibility?
I'm thinking it's flamethrower time....
Today I snapped a snow destroyed house.
Get clearing.
I'm thinking there is a lot of wild bamboo in Japan (some broken bits were seen in earlier photos of your rear driveway)
Tie several lengths of bamboo together (if only you had been a Boy Scout ha!)& tie a rake/scraper to one end. Then with your long-handled implement remove the snow standing at ground level.
You might have to run occasionaly when you create a self-inflicted avalanche! Dad
Get some rope and tie it to a log, and toss that onto the roof and pull it back down.
you should probably get a bunch of fireworks and stand on the road overlooking your house and shoot the snow off, the explosions oughta melt it too. I can help if you want, although rob's got better aim.
No, no, no. What's all this about flinging logs onto the rooftop? Fireworks? Not gonna do the trick. What you need are sun lamps, and lots of 'em. Haul those babies up into the attic and direct them at the ceiling. Know why indoor pot growers in Montana always get busted? Because their sun lamps mean they have the only barn in a thousand square miles with no snow on the roof. No need to thank me, just send some of those biscuits.
Its even easier than that.
All you have to do is stand by the kitchen window and say VERY loudly "YAY! Its snowing! I love the snow! Lets go and put our warm clothes on and go and play in it!"
Guaranteed, by the time you have your hat, gloves, scarf and wooly jumper on, it'll all have melted away to nothing.
in that same vein you could take up yodeling and dislodge it with the power of you voice. or hope that the coming warmth of this week will melt some of it.
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