We did it! The trick with the socks-over-the-boots worked!*)
I went out much later than usual, after 8 a.m., and found it so mild, compared to the last days, that I went back and got Madame to come as well.
She's been getting so much better, and was so happy out in the park. The snow there was still snow-like rather than ice, so she enjoyed it much more than at Christmas.
Unfortunately, she got bowled over by an excited Bart - I'm now watching her like a hawk to see if she's still fine by tonight.
It was grey, no sun, snowflakes slowly and intermittently coming down - and the wind from the NE had not yet got up to the predicted strength.
As for the ravens ...
We have heard their calls in the morning during the four days when we not in the park. So they were all right. We heard them again, as soon as we were in the park - and their calls were coming from Pontcanna Fields, so I was reassured - they had enough to eat.
Once we got to the top of the big field, not having seen one raven until then - there they came, from the spinney, to the ground.
My young pair!
And within the time I had thrown a few scraps, the other young pair came from the quarry side. They all got a large amount of scraps - Madame participating to the extent that she noticed where one piece had not been picked up - and getting it for herself.
There were a few scuffles, between each one of the pairs, and then between the two pairs. But it was mostly sound and fury, no damage done.
Once every piece of scrap had gone, we went back home. I was so glad that my ravens had not forgotten me!
Tomorrow, we'll get out again now that we have seen we can do it!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*) The 'trick' is to pull terry cloth socks over one's boots, with the terry side out. I had done that once before, ruining a few pairs of socks which I missed when the cold grip started. Unfortunately, I'd forgotten why those socks had gone ...
I'd heard this trick mentioned again a few days ago - so when I had the chance to get to a supermarket yesterday, I got a few cheap pairs in a suitable size, and here we are!
2 comments:
Hi Yma! Glad to hear you got out today!! But you must'nt worry about the Ravens - they'll find food even if you have to stay inside!
But I still don't get the socks over boots trick. What is it that the socks do for you over snow (I can understand about ice -but you should know that there are several sporting goods/hiking/camping goods stores that sell rubber straps with steel ice cleats on the bottom - and they really give you great GREAT traction over ice and are not expensive at all!
I hope Madame did recover ok - who is Bart?!
Hiya, realwest!
The socks trick works on snow and ice because the fabric absorbs the film of water which forms between the sole of the boot and the icy or snowy surface when walking. slithering is apparently caused by something similar to aquaplaning in cars.
I've tried those cleats, ages ago. The trouble with them is, once you get onto patches where there is no ice or snow, say, because a car had been parked there, then you have no traction and slither there!
So it's socks for me - and they are also much cheaper!
Bart, btw, is a teenage labradoodle, that is a cross between a poodle and a labrador. He is big and bouncy, and doesn't know his own strength, thus he had Madame on her back, which she did not like at all! he wasn't aggressive, just bouncy and playful - and madame started it!
Yes, she is fine, no bad after-effects from that tumble, although she did squeal when it happened ...
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