Tuesday 3 November 2009

Dodging the rain Nov 3

After a couple of weeks of recovering properly from seasonal *lurgy*, I am almost back to everyday outings. I cannot abide being stuck inside for too long and even if the weather is iffy, I would rather risk a drenching than fust away. We are having a week of wind and rain, which is what you want really, in November. Today I was working with one eye on the studio window, watching for a good, clear break after a morning of downpours. When it seemed safe, I scrambled onto Hercules and we headed for the top hill. I soon spotted more wet gloom, rolling in rather beautifully on the back of strong sunshine. Would I escape in time?

No. After a mile of mad pedalling, the first drops began to splatter, hastened in by strong winds.

Nothing for it but to carry on.

Thank goodness for rural bus shelters. We were able to stop and shelter from the worst of it, and dry off.

After ten minutes the skies westward cleared and a clean brightness sharpened the autumn colours.
From the top, I could see the storm cascading eastwards towards Oxford.


Down the big hill, accompanied by gurgling rivulets of rain water streaming to the bottom.

The sun emerged.

By the time I reached the deserted farm, it was a perfect day.

In fact, if it hadn't been for what my West Country mother would have called 'gurt big puddles'...

...you would scarcely have known it had been raining at all.



12 comments:

  1. Your constancy is rewarded, you see?
    I'm intrigued by this "deserted farm", but there's curtains on the windows...

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  2. Hey just been posted the link to this blog from EnglishFolkFan - gorgeous wet photos, it's a part of the world I know next to nothing about but I think this will help my terrible knowledge! x

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  3. Those skies look rather like the ones that blew Dorothy to Oz!!

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  4. PG, I like every one of those pictures and am so glad that you did have that eye on the window, and the urge to get out into that fabulous landscape rain or shine.

    I continue to just wonder at the remarkable scenery that you can see on your bike rides or walks. It seems timeless and just waiting for your eyes only.

    Glad that you are feeling better!

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  5. So it was the 'gurt big puddles' that made carriage travel so horrible back in the day! Thanks for the bike ride ;-)
    your friend,
    Janet

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  6. You have a lovely blog over here. The Cotswolds are beautiful.

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  7. These are lovely photos, you live in really lovely countryside. What a good job you found such a nice snug bus shelter just in time:)

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  8. Thanks for visiting my journaling blog - and I love this of yours. Your part of the Cotswolds is beautiful and different to ours (on the north eastern edge). I shall look at all those photos again - and the map.

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  9. What lovely photos! I am so happy to have stumbled onto your blog and look forward to it each time you post...well done!

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  10. How fun!!! I'm like you, I have to get out there in it, thats living! Thanks for taking me along :)

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