At around 4pm the wind started getting stronger and stronger. The surface of the canal was being whipped up, so that it looked like a fast flowing river and the boat was rocking alarmingly, with the ropes making horrible creaking noises. Luckily for us, the wind direction changed to an Easterly about an hour later and the wind was now blowing along the boat instead of across it. This meant that we no longer were being battered on the side, we just had to make sure that everything on the roof was secure. The rain was so heavy, that our mushrooms, (air vents on the top of the boat) started leaking. The worst thing was that the wind was blowing the smoke from our fire, back down the chimney into the boat, so to avoid being smoked out, we had to let the fire go out.
We decided to have an early night, hoping to get warm and cosy under the bed covers and sleep through the worst of it. Unfortunately, the howling wind and lashing rain pounding on the roof, kept us awake and quite jittery for most of the night.
On emerging for work early on Thursday morning, I was greeted with signs of absolute devastation. Many trees were down and in the seaside town where I work, many shops on the promenade had had windows blown in and there was sand and debris all over the road.
But .... there is always a silver lining! Our wood supply has been getting very low. In fact below is the last basket of seasoned wood we own.
On Friday morning I awoke to the dulcet tones of a chain saw being used close by. I looked out of the window and a tree was being felled in the lane opposite the marina.
As soon as they had finished and left, I rushed over, only to find that someone had got there before me. However, he only wanted the really big stuff and was loading massive trunks into his estate car. I was more interested in the smaller branches of which there were plenty. I loaded up three wheelbarrow loads and our wood store is now full again.
I also noticed that a tree had come down on a patch of land owned by one of our friends on the Allotments. He always lets us have any wood and there is loads there, so I don't think we will struggle for wood for a very long time.
Of course we will have to wait a year for it to be properly seasoned, but other casualties of the strong winds were fence panels belonging to friends of ours and these can be chopped up and burnt immediately.
With the weather being so severe, we have taken down our infra red camera. The otter has been active recently making a lot of noise around and under our boats, but has been frustratingly elusive when we have tried to capture him on film.
We have had some success with the kingfisher though, although again the fixed camera failed to take any pictures of him. On Monday, which was a beautiful day, I saw him four times. Once when he landed on the cleat at the front of our boat as I was standing in the bedroom. He was no more than two feet away and I saw him in all his glory. It was a wonderful sight as their colouring is so beautiful. However he saw me and quickly flew away. Later on I decided to go for a short walk as the weather was so lovely. I was crossing the bridge and saw him sitting on the end of next doors boat, just above our camera!! It was almost as if he knew the camera was there and was avoiding it. Here is the shot I took from the bridge. It's not very clear because of the distance, but you can see our camera set up under the bench.
The weather is still very unsettled and we are expecting more wind and rain. We are just so thankful to live on a boat as so many people in the south have been severely flooded. We saw a house on the news last night which was submerged up to the top of the front door. I have never seen such deep flooding.
Home owners on the Somerset levels were interviewed and were saying how they have had enough now after weeks of being under water. The Government didn't seem to show much interest and certainly those poor people have had very little assistance. Strange how now that the Home Counties have been flooded, the Government have been galvanised into action. Call me a cynic, but it smacks of helping out their rich cronies, while leaving the poor people in Somerset to suffer.
Hopefully the weather will improve soon. Last Monday was a gorgeous day and as I was cycling back from town along the tow path I heard a song thrush which is always a sign of hope.
Al
