Cold Comfort II

[tyellas]

Finally! Frost! My gardening friends have been waiting anxiously for the first frost, to kill insects and give certain plants a winter metabolic period. Even a sucky gardener like myself wants it - I have some violet seeds for my garden, and they need frost and cold to germinate.

My car was iced up for the first time this winter, too. But...when I was in New England, I bought something at the hardware store of my childhood. An ice scraper. After one minute plying the ice scraper over my car's windows, I was gleefully ready to drive.

I have yet to see an ice scraper for sale in New Zealand. The local cure for a frosted car is, according to my boss, just turning the hose on it!

They were even discussing the frost on the radio this morning, with a sense of relief, as if to say, "Oh, thank goodness, severe climate change isn't happening this year!" Yeah, well, I should've been plying that ice scraper a month ago...

Comments

[dianavilliers.livejournal.com]

When I was in Christchurch, an ice-scraper was whichever plastic loyalty/ID card in my wallet was most disposable. The Waitakere City library card was favourite for a while.

[tyellas.livejournal.com]

But...but...ice scrapers...chance to make insane profits from well-shaped piece of cheap plastic...I don't understand why they aren't more available here. Here's one in NZ (http://www.promosafety.co.nz/IceScraper.html) that is priced about the same as the one I bought!

[dianavilliers.livejournal.com]

I didn't say that it was right, or that it made sense. It's just a thing that is. Currently, if I have to scrape ice off my vehicle, it's obviously a day for walking.

[vernacularity.livejournal.com]

oh cute. the colour of that one is "frosted clear" .

[tatjna.livejournal.com]

Since ice srapers for freezers are available, I don't see why they couldn't be turned to good use.

Like dianavilliers, I've always used the non-business edge of my onecard - but I'd definitely go for something with a handle and I don't know why I hadn't thought of this before.

[tyellas.livejournal.com]

Kiwi ingenuity! I never used a plastic card, ever - just whined for an ice scraper.

you'll be relieved to hear...

[lhun-dweller.livejournal.com]

..no climate change in New England, either. That's why, after a couple days of 80-90F, we were back under the down comforter for more than a week. In June.

[gilraen-surion.livejournal.com]

I think at one stage I bought one at Mite10. Even with a glove around the handle so that your hands would not get cold.

In Auckland usually warm water was sufficient, by the time it came to scraping temperatures were always above 0. I just found it a waste of hot water whereas scraping is often just as easy

[bumponalog.livejournal.com]

Well I suppose that IS something you cant do with number 8 wire.
I've always used a spare card too.

[ithilwen.livejournal.com]

If you want a real ice scraper, I'd be happy to mail you one!

Oh, and a tip to remember for the future: seeds which need a cold period to germinate can often be tricked by putting them back in the rear of your refrigerator for a few weeks. They'll think they've gone through winter, and will sprout after that artificial cold treatment.