On Tue, 4 May 2021 16:13:36 +0100, R D S wrote:

snip

We're in a small terrace of 6 houses half way up a hill on one side of a
valley and it seems to engulf us.

We are EOT so our flank wall forms a nice wind tunnel with the house
the end of the next terrace.

Trees bending, slates sound like a xylophone, bins going over*, windows
whistling and an occasional thwack like someone has hit the house with a
gigantic wet trout.

LOL, yup, and I don't know if you like me try to work out what all the
noises are. Is that the bin 'just' falling over harmlessly or falling
over down the side of our car ... ?

We've conceded that we can't have a greenhouse.

You could probably get one with a brick frame and polycarbonate
panels. I'm not sure how easy it is to grow stuff in a 'Pill box'. ;-)

I think my problem is being exacerbated by the fact I have just built a
cat enclosure to the rear made largely of glass. I'm now wondering why I
would do that to myself.

The cat is happy though, that's the main job isn't it? I feel like he
could do a better job of displaying his gratitude.

https://ibb.co/0K2NX2Q

*The bins are in the front yard behind a stone wall around 18 inches
high, I was getting in the car the other morning and a gust lifted a
(albeit largely empty) wheely bin over the wall and into the car.

Feck. And that's the thing ... depending on the wind direction
something that appears to be very exposed / vulnerable can often be
found in the same place in the morning (because it was in the lee of
the wind) whereas something heavier is in nextdoors garden? [1] ;-(

I type this realising that there are people around the world infinitely
worse off, I am a privileged snowflake.

I you were born in 'hurricane alley' do you think you would stay there
or move elsewhere as soon as you were able? ;-)

When you see the aftermath of hurricanes in places like the USA, all
that is generally left standing is the brick built chimney. Why don't
they get together and just build one house out of the bricks and
share. ;-)

We took the dog out for a couple of hours earlier and I made a
conscious point of avoiding anywhere lined with older trees. We did
come across a few tree limbs that had been brought down and they could
have come down at any time before, after or during us passing.

Cheers, T i m

[1] Both our multipoint water heater and mums balanced flu gas boiler
can have their pilot lights blow out but only under 'certain'
circumstances. Like with all this wind recently, it's still on and
fine. Another day with a much much lighter wind in the 'wrong'
direction and it can get blown out?