Sunday 20 October 2013

The Dark Days

My mother always used to bemoan 'the dark days before Christmas'.   Well here they have started very early this year as it has hardly got light for the past fortnight on most days.

Yesterday we ran the whole gamut between sunrise and sunset.  We awoke to a thick blanket of fog and so no light to speak of.   Suddenly, at around 7.30am it cleared 'as if by magic' and the sun came out.   It was wonderful to see the sun, but as the farmer took the dogs for their walk at 8.15am it suddenly poured with rain and he got very wet.

The rest of the day was wet until mid afternoon, when it cleared, the sky was blue and the sun came out.   We soaked up the sun shine - it was glorious.   But when the farmer took the dogs at 4.30pm - he got wet again!

Looking out of the back door at half past eight he remarked on the beautiful clear, starry sky and the bright moon.   He had hardly got back to sitting down in the sitting room when there was a huge flash of lightning and a loud clap of thunder, and torrential rain.

This morning, at 9.03am as I write this, it is barely light.   The leaves on the horse chestnuts and beeches are the most beautiful colours - how I wish we could have a bit of sunshine so that we could really appreciate them.

The sheep in the field opposite (not ours) have finally discovered how to actually dismantle a wall and are now all streaming out on to the lane.  I have just rung 'their' farmer (a dairy farmer who just takes in sheep for the winter from off the tops) and left a message on his answer-phone, telling him the bad news.   That will make his Sunday!

15 comments:

Dominic Rivron said...

Funnily enough, there was a flash of lightening and a clap of thunder here last night, at about the same time.

Cro Magnon said...

It's now 10.30 am, and we've just had morning coffee outdoors on the terrace. The sun is shining, it's about 18 C, and looks to be a good day ahead (Despite the amount of gunfire in the woods).

Heather said...

It's rather gloomy here also and we have had some very heavy bursts of rain. I dislike these dark and dreary winter days too but can usually find something to keep my mind off them. We have had some extremely mild days lately and that brings it's own problems - setting out for the day at 9am in layers fitting for October and by lunchtime peeling off and gasping for air! Hope the neighbour's sheep were all safely rounded up and returned to their field.

Edwina said...

Dark here in North Norfolk - 10.00am - and rainy and blowy and thoroughly miserable. Leaves blowing off the silver birches, leaving a scattering of gold drops all over the garden. Himself talks of hoovering them up this week perhaps. I rather like the look of them, they make the ground light in colour and brighten up a gloomy Sunday morning.

thelma said...

How we will all tell of different English weather, perhaps that is the joy of it ;) In Essex, as dark as the grave this morning with accompanying rain, now the sun is out illuminating the maple tree....

Tom Stephenson said...

I find the dark days after Christmas the worst.

Crafty Green Poet said...

you seem to be having worse weather than we are, it's rained a fair bit over the past couple of days but no thunder yet

clever sheep your neighbour has!

Twiggy said...

Oh dear it sounds like you have had a bit of everything. It's sunny up on the tops in west yorkshire today and very mild.We just got back from a lovely sunny walk,the heavens opened and we now have a glorious rainbow.
Twiggy

Hildred said...

A little cloud this morning, but promises that it will clear and we will have more of those glorious days this week, - if I could just bundle one up and send it to you, Pat, I would do so immediately and happily!

John Going Gently said...

Dark days
Indeed pat.....
We have not seen day
Ight all day...

Cloudia said...

Your fine companionable writing makes us experience winters flooding in. Howbi wish I could lay a Sunshine pipeline to you! Do visit for restorative sunny photos. Hope you enjoy them even half as much as I love my visits with you, Farmer, assorted gardeners, and of course Tess:-)


Aloha

Jenny Woolf said...

Turned the light on myself in mid afternoon. A strange feeling. It was, though, because of heavy rain. I hoep we will get some bright sunny wintry days too in the coming months.

MorningAJ said...

I've been sorting o9ut my bookcases following the electrician's work last week. I have no idea what it's been doing here. I've not had time to look outside!

angryparsnip said...

Goodness, Dark days already, sounds early. Well at lest you have Christmas lights to look forward to.
It is perfect Fall Tucson weather here, sunny with a bright blue sky.
Hope all the sheep are back in the right field and not the lane.

cheers, parsnip

Loren said...

Strange how closely the weather here in America's Pacific Northwest mirrors your weather, Pat. My wife has been complaining bitterly that the fog hasn't cleared for over 2 weeks, no matter how many times forecasters have predicted sunshine.

I finally gave up waiting for sunshine and went birding in the fog.