Wet Wet Wet

The monsoon conditions carried on right through the night - John had had to brave the elements just before going to bed and pump out the pool for fear it would overflow which thankfully meant this was averted.  The rain finally stopped just after we woke and were sitting in bed with our morning coffee.  Everywhere was sodden and the skies were grey - a command decision was made for the Ladies who Walk that today would be abandoned in favour of tea and stickies.

I sent out an early morning text and didn't realise that no-one was entirely sure what I meant by stickies - this clearly must be Naval terminology for cake!!!  Bless lovely Nicky for rustling up a Jamaican Ginger Cake with what ingredients she had to hand and although she wasn't 100% happy with it I thought it was delicious!!!  

Nicky, Belinda, Rachel and I got together at 10.00 for a chat and have agreed that if the weather is good next week we will try and get in a walk before Christmas.  As it turned out it didn't actually rain this morning but none of us wanted to run the risk of getting half way round our walk and the heavens opening and having to get back.

The weather got worse as the day went on - by early evening there was a rolling mist so that you couldn't actually see anything - this is a view across the field outside the kitchen door - the only thing visible was the outline of the telegraph poles and there is a big fat tree there somewhere!!  This very inclement weather made me relent and go and put a duvet on our bed - I thought John deserved it after having to go out last night and sort out the pool and come back in freezing cold to a sheet and a throw only!

Everything in the garden is looking battered and sodden but it is half way through December after all so we can normally expect some bad weather - if we get a couple of dry days I will have to get out and have a clear up - the invisible tree which cannot be seen in the photograph above has shed all its leaves and the vast majority ended up in our garden and as they begin to decompose they turn black and make the shingle dirty.

On the plus side when the weather is like this we batten down the hatches and get everywhere warm and cosy - this year I am trying to make sure that the conservatory doesn't get cut off so that it becomes and ice-box between the lounge and the bedrooms.  So far so good!