On Thu, 7 Jan 2010 02:50:56 -0800 (PST), Weatherlawyer wrote:

Allowing stuff to grow that long is asking for trouble. Always
supposing no bodies get speared,

Not from those there is a 5' wide, 10' long, 4' high heap of cleared
snow below them. The area under the ones on the other side of the
house we can't easyly get to as both gates are half buried in snow.

The damage to the structure is going to be expensive. Plastic brackets
at 3 foot distances, in cold weather, are not very strong.

A fair point but brakets are just over a quid from B&Q...

I'd suggest a brief fling with snowballs

We have the wrong sort of snow. Dry powder does not stick together to
make snow balls. I am keeping an eye on them though, they haven't
grown for the last couple of days. The worst time will be when the
thaw comes and the ice starts to lose it's strength and thus needs
more support to stay put.

--
Cheers Dave.
Nr Garrigill, Cumbria. 421m ASL.