Monday 10 March 2014

#One Week - Winter '14 - Drip Drip

Indoors looking out. Everyday another shower. Every hour a deeper puddle. The rain bounced off the grass, the wind howled down the chimney; dirty pebbles bouncing through the vent in the bedroom wall, charcoal smudges on the carpet. I found myself stuffing cotton wool in my ears before going to sleep; anything to silence the wailing wolves.

'Mummy, can we play in the garden?'
'No.'
'Mummy, can we go to the park?'
'Not today.'


With the outdoors making a nuisance of itself, all noise and clatter, I forgot to have my camera at the ready. I have no pictures of the rains and floods; only a few raindrops here and there, and that's when I remembered. Will it be like this every winter? Wet and windy? Now there's a slight understatement... was a bit more than blowy, a little more than drizzle or down pour. Monsoon teardrops. Roaring tempests. Boiling seas. Breaching waters. Shakespeare would have been so so proud. Squally and riled are my descriptors for winter 2014.


We turned the corner on our way to preschool, and there it was, in our way, a flood across our road; lapping over curb, licking garden walls, rolling down mossy drive ways. We couldn't go over it. We couldn't go under it. We had to go through it. I picked up Little A, I picked up her scooter, and waded through our reflections. A car passed through, the driver's face apologetic, sending cold waves splashing against my ankles; soaking boots, soaking hem. 'Mummy, you'll have to change your trousers.' When I returned for Little A, the water still stood, flat and grey, no sign of relent.

Later that afternoon, we were caught in the body of a long long jam; a tail back that wound its way beyond a round-a-bout behind us, and down a hill in front, rear lights flashing secret code. At the bottom were clusters of bright yellow jackets, and a policeman's poker face, his arms flagging the traffic in the opposite direction, back the way we came. The river had burst. A deep sheet of water blocked the main thoroughfare into town. A large hosepipe was failing. Sandbags were being piled against doors. Frantic. Desperate. Another storm predicted the following day... Winter's ruin.

'Mummy, can we go to soft play?'
'Sorry sweetheart, it's knee deep in river.'


The garden. Well it took a battering. The fence to be exact. Half blown away in October's great storm. The rest torn by February's teeth. It's definitely our fence, Younger Dad checked. Odd having such a transparent view of our neighbour's garden; I'm sure she feels the same. A new boundary is required. Windproof. One with concrete foundation. In preparation, I spent the other weekend digging up all the plants and bulbs, transferring them to another bed; either destroying them or delaying their growth. A necessary evil I guess.


This is the second day of the seasonal linky One Week. From Monday till Wednesday I'll be posting a photograph(s) and a few words that diarises and distills my experience of winter '14. Take a peep at the details here. You can join in for one, two ... or the full three days. And don't forget to add #oneweek on Twitter, and comment on each others posts...


Badge Code ...

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26 comments:

  1. I may have complained (a lot!) about the snow, but I would take it over the rain and wind and floods that you have all had to endure. I now have a wonderful image of a soft play knee deep in river :) Here's to a sunny and dry Spring x

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    1. It's a difficult call isn't it? Snow or rain; each has it's negatives, but I think I am in your camp - I would have taken snow over the relentless rain and wind. Spring couldn't come soon enough! X

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  2. We had our first big rainstorm in months this week. It lasted about half an hour. Everyone was whooping with joy as, after the big snow storm in early December, we've had the driest winter ever. I remember coming to London one summer and loving the rain. My dad said, "yes I can see that it'd be a novelty if not had rain for months but when it pours every day for six months it's bl**** depressing." So I do feel for you guys. Wishing you a warm and dry spring. xxx

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    1. I'm not surprised you were all whooping with joy, sounds like you had a winter drought. I remember the post you wrote on the snow... I can imagine coming over here, the rain is a novelty, but I have to agree with your Dad, it becomes a royal pain after a while. And I do hope we have a dry spring! X

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  3. It has been a rather wet and miserable winter! We wished for snow but sadly it was not granted.

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    1. Tell me about it.... such a shame the snow didn't come (but it could still!)

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  4. Even though it's been a wet winter, oddly I don't feel that I've used my umbrella much! Maybe I'm just passed the stage now - and into life as mum with a hooded coat! What a pain about the fence - isn't it always the way, when it falls down, it's your boundary. We had exactly the same - and such a hassle to get a new one with the posts concreted in etc. But, speaking as someone with a new fence...VERY satisfying when it goes in!

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    1. Is that because you've been indoors most of the time? I used every excuse in the book not to go outside during those very rainy weeks... and yes to a decent coat hood when it was required. I am very much looking forward to the new garden fence - might grow some creepers/clemetis up it!

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  5. Love the pics and some beautiful turns of phrase! Thanks for one week it is great to review a season, particularly one so dramatic!

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    1. Thank you very much lovely! I love reviewing the seasons, but I found this one a challenge; I just didn't know what to write about - had to really cobble it together!

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  6. Oh my goodness. It sounds like you've really been through it this winter. You must be delighted that spring is finally on its way. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world I'm looking forward to autumn - my favourite season.xx

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    1. It's been very wet and very winter.... and I think everyone is relieved that spring is on its way BUT it could all change - we had snow last April and May. I hope you have a beautiful autumn. X

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  7. Winter '14 has been such a misery hasn't it, sorry your fence took a battering.
    It'll be one I won't forget, always touched by sadness. Thank you for your lovely words xx

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    1. Hasn't it just, but more so for you; no, it isn't one you'll forget - a very sad one, and my pleasure regarding my comment on your post. X

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  8. Yep, we have also windproofed the garden :-) Fingers crossed ...

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    1. Well the fence that got knocked over was old and flimsy; a proper heavy duty one with concrete and everything is replacing it.

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  9. This Winter was particularly cruel to so many. Beautiful photography and words - can bottle your skills please and post some to me? xx

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    1. I know, especially further down south in your neck of the woods.Thank you very much, and could you bottle me some of yours back please? X

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  10. So beautifully written (as always)! And I adore the photos :-) *a bit green with photo envy* xx

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    1. Thank you very much lovely.... please don't go green *LOL*; they were lucky flukes! X

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  11. I cannot believe how much rain you have had... :(
    Gorgeous photos, though. xx

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    1. It wasn't very pleasant... :o(. Thank you. X

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  12. You;ve captured beautifully that sense of rain this winter. I feel so sad for those who were flooded, but I have liked it not being so cold this year. Gorgeous words, and equally lovely photos xx

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    1. Thank you very much. It must have been awful for those who were flooded, a real dogs dinner. I guess the milder days made the whole thing that bit more bearable. X

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  13. You've captured Winter perfectly here, a beautiful post. It's been so harsh for many hasn't it, I've not liked the wind especially. So worried our patio window was going to come in! We only lost a fence so we were lucky but many not far away were affected by the floods. POD kept saying "Oh look it's raining again" - so sad! Has been great to see some sunshine these past weeks though, great for her to discover the garden once more!

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    1. Thank you very much! It's been the strangest of winters, I'm still not convinced we are out of the woods yet - there's April still to come... but the sunshine of the last few weeks has made all the difference!

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