Winter Blues…..

[Jimajama]

Man this winter has been hard, based in cumbria and its been a slog. December saw the most snow i’ve ever experienced which all fell in 24 hours. 10-12 inches of it. it had its upsides as i got to spend it with the missus and my little boy. Following the snow was a month of solid rain and two strong wind storms. Today the weather is finally sunny which is a blessing, but it took me 2 hours to defrost the system today to be able to clean. I type this as the sun is setting and its below 0 again, my fingertips are numb hence the lazy typing. What keeps you going and gets you out of a bad mood during the hardest days?

 

[Pjj]

Man this winter has been hard, based in cumbria and its been a slog. December saw the most snow i’ve ever experienced which all fell in 24 hours. 10-12 inches of it. it had its upsides as i got to spend it with the missus and my little boy. Following the snow was a month of solid rain and two strong wind storms. Today the weather is finally sunny which is a blessing, but it took me 2 hours to defrost the system today to be able to clean. I type this as the sun is setting and its below 0 again, my fingertips are numb hence the lazy typing. What keeps you going and gets you out of a bad mood during the hardest days?

Yes it’s been a rough couple of months , it’s the money that keeps me motivated with it I couldn’t earn what i do doing anything else , being your own boss, deciding when you will work and when you want time off after 25 years it’s a bit monotonous but all jobs have there down sides .

 

[Bell Pallisey]

up the workload and/or start a sideline biz helps make sure theres no time to sit still

 

[spruce]

Man this winter has been hard, based in cumbria and its been a slog. December saw the most snow i’ve ever experienced which all fell in 24 hours. 10-12 inches of it. it had its upsides as i got to spend it with the missus and my little boy. Following the snow was a month of solid rain and two strong wind storms. Today the weather is finally sunny which is a blessing, but it took me 2 hours to defrost the system today to be able to clean. I type this as the sun is setting and its below 0 again, my fingertips are numb hence the lazy typing. What keeps you going and gets you out of a bad mood during the hardest days?

What the general advice is to do as squirrels and other animals do. Fill the storehouse in the summer to survive the winter.

It's easier said than done when you are starting out. Once you have a full round, 'milk' it as much as you can in the spring, summer and autumn so you have a little put away on one side for the lean winter months. Saying that, the weather hasn't been good these past 3 or 4 months, and we are well behind on our cleaning schedule.
Our weather in the northeast has been better than yours on the west coast, so I do feel sorry for you all on that side of the country.

Today wasn't easy due to the cold weather, but what I love about frozen ground is that the hose reel and pole hose stays clean.

 

[Dave B]

I work everyday no matter the weather unless rain is too heavy or frost too bad so lose about 5 days a year tops
This Friday will be -5 in the am so may be home then but a bit of ice or snow doesn’t bother me
Not desperate for money but can’t sit at home when work can be done as it’s not in my nature

 

[JohnDoeWindows]

Stick an oil filled radiator in the back of your van overnight then it shouldn't freeze up, to keep it from freezing in the day try and work fast and keep water flowing as it can't then freeze. Keep a flask of hot water and a mug, pour hot water on jets etc if they freeze. If your hose freezes pour some hot water in mug, dip your hose in and take the rectus fitting out, put pump up to 99 as well as the calibration and it should hopefully force the ice out

 

[Crystalalan]

If you are in a bad mood, go for a run. Even better if you are signed up for a marathon or some other race. I started running two years ago and my mental health hasn`t been this good in ages and it has made me much better at dealing with negative situations. Dosn`t even have to be running any form of exercise is beneficial. I chose running as its very accessible and cheap.

 

[dazmond]

Man this winter has been hard, based in cumbria and its been a slog. December saw the most snow i’ve ever experienced which all fell in 24 hours. 10-12 inches of it. it had its upsides as i got to spend it with the missus and my little boy. Following the snow was a month of solid rain and two strong wind storms. Today the weather is finally sunny which is a blessing, but it took me 2 hours to defrost the system today to be able to clean. I type this as the sun is setting and its below 0 again, my fingertips are numb hence the lazy typing. What keeps you going and gets you out of a bad mood during the hardest days?

Preparation is key.you shouldn't be spending 2 hours defrosting your equipment in the morning.heater in the van overnight,grit and sweeping brush in van and away you go.

A hot water system really makes a difference in this weather,nice,warm manageable hoses,better flow and warm hands.

 

[dazmond]

I don't earn anymore in the summer than the winter.all my work is cleaned all year round comprising of 4 x 6 hour days per week.its very rare I have a day off because of bad weather

 

[Part Timer]

What do you call the hardest days? I never worry, or get down, about things I can't control. I can however mitigate about frozen hoses etc. I can't stop it being freezing but I can stop my equipment freezing.
Very, very rarely lose days due to cold or rain and it would get me down if I did, but I lose days, including days working away, due to wind. Does it get me down, briefly, but as I can't control it then not for long

 

[Iron Giant]

Jump in a barrel of cold water on a morning that sets you up for the mentally, you do need to know what you are doing though and it doesn't have to be every day, last Autumn and winter I was struggling at times as I'd put myself under a lot of pressure to get our house renovated, I listen to music Jungle and Drum & Bass nearly all day every work day so nothing really gets me down and I'm flying but as others have said it's preparation, "be prepared or prepare to fail"