Saturday 29 January 2011

Which holes to mend?






It is a lovely sunny day here today but very cold. This morning a kind friend called for me and took me into town. We then met with friends in our favourite watering hole - The Golden Lion - for coffee. I went to the charity shop first with a bag of jig saw puzzles and was so long chatting that they sent out a search party for me!

The farmer is out shooting so after a soup lunch Tess and I walked down the lane. What a hive of activity it was, for the Arbitrary Roadmen were there. You can imagine, Winter has wreaked havoc with our road surfaces and many enormous potholes have resulted. A few weeks ago someone came round with a pot of yellow paint and drew a circle around those holes deemed suitable for repair. In the ensuing delay most of the yellow paint has washed away.

Today a man in an orange suit walked up the centre of the lane, followed by a lorry holding what I presume to be hot tarmacadam, followed by a dinky little roller and two more men bringing up the rear. Some holes were filled with hot tarmac, raked even and then rolled, other holes seemed to be ignored. Great clouds of steam rose into the air, there was a nice, nose-clearing smell of tar and then they moved on.
I thought you might like to see the pictures.

How long the repairs last in anybody's guess as many of the holes had water (melted ice) in them but I suppose, in these days of recession and austerity what do a few potholes matter between friends and neighbours?

When we returned to the farm a scattering of feathers - maybe from a collared dove - suggest that the sparrow hawk came through today and that he scored a hit. He comes through most days but then he has to live, hasn't he?

12 comments:

steven said...

weaver - i have noticed the chunks and potholes appearing on our roads and of course winter has some months to go yet so those holes will get larger, swallowing up small cars and maybe cyclists who venture out when the going gets better. i love when the yellow suited men come out and shove soft tar into the holes. the smell is so good to me. i also love knowing that within days or maybe a week or two at most, that hole will be there grinning in all its glory once more - doing its bit to help the economy keep on rolling along!! steven

mrsnesbitt said...

Our roads are terribly damaged following the frost and snow - and yes Pat a very cold day here too. I went into Guisborough but certainly didn't hang around - I was soon home to the warmth of the kitchen.

Jinksy said...

Mended pot holes lack beauty, what?

Nancy Grossi ~ Churned In Cali ~ The Wife of a Dairyman said...

Looks like quite a cold day over in your neck of the woods. Great job capturing that feeling with your photos:)

Heather said...

I love the smell of hot tar and think that the potholes that are left unfilled are our Councils' secret method of keeping speeds down! There are often groups of feathers on the ground here, but I have never seen a hawk. Maybe I don't get up early enough! Lovely photos, even on a raw cold day.

Jo said...

Personally, I can't abide the smell of hot tar and asphalt, as we call it here in the states, but to each his/her own.

The photos are delightful, and give such a good view of your orange-suited road heroes.

That sparrow hawk seems to be making it through winter in a fine way...lucky him!

angryparsnip said...

I want to drive the dinky roller ! so very cute....

cheers, parsnip

Cloudia said...

Arbitrary roadmen are universal!

here it's da rain...


Aloha from Honolulu
Comfort Spiral

><}}(°>

maryelizabethroche said...

Chicago is known for many things, and potholes are one of them!!
I've driven over them, and walked over and tripped on them.
It takes forever for our streets to be repaired...I suppose I've gotten used to them too! Just another part of life I suppose.

Totalfeckineejit said...

We all have to live Weaver, and not by bread alone, but also by a cup of tea, or in your case , coffee.

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

I've been catching up on your posts tonight. I do love visiting you here, and if I were closer, Edward and I would pop over frequently to take you out for a drive!

Pondside said...

There are a few bone-jarring pot holes on our road too!
The Great Dane is banned from driving for eight weeks, so I think there will be lots of lovely walks in the days to come.