Gloom Over Beetley

~ beetleypete

Over the last few days, December gloom has descended on Beetley. Gone are the mornings of ‘low winter sun’, accompanied by blue skies and surprisingly high temperatures. The SAD lamp is on by 10 am, rather than after 2 pm.

Instead, we have the feeling that it might still be night, with dark grey skies seemingly yearning for darkness to come. Mist and murk, water in the air even when it isn’t raining, and a damp chill that makes joints ache.

Then the rain appears. Driven by wind, soaking the fallen leaves into mush, and turning firm walking paths into slippery mud.

I can be in no doubt that winter is upon us.

61 thoughts on “Gloom Over Beetley”

  2. It’s so dark in the mornings we have been sleeping past 7am. The trouble is our poor old dog can’t wait and leaves us a present on the hall mat. He’s wearing doggy diapers but that doesn’t hold anything else! Other than that he seems quite happy – still eating and barking at foxes in the evenings.
    His dementia means he wanders around looking lost but he still pops out of his bed at meal times and looks longingly at us for titbits.We have to be careful what we give him but when it is chicken he is really happy.
    As for the weather – I didn’t go out at all yesterday and it made me very miserable. It poured with rain and I had so many places I wanted to go. I’ll try today. Best Wishes, Julie.

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  5. Oh no, this is not good weather for Pete! Time for roaring fires, soft blankets, classic movies, and buttered popcorn. hang in there, I know this isn’t your thing, wish we could switch weather, our state is in such a drought. Wishing you patches of sunshine, C

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    1. I think it helps when I am sitting near it. I certainly feel happy enough writing in the office. But it doesn’t seem to help the gloom when I am out in the rain and mud walking with Ollie. 🙂
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  13. It’s sunny (as usual) here in Las Vegas today, but rather chilly. The high today is predicted to be only 57° F (14° C). However, the forecast for Monday—most likely our next hiking day—is 67° F (20° C). Nothing like a short sleeve hike in December! We’ve now gone 227 days without measurable precipitation, shattering the 1959 record of 150 days. There’s no rain in the long range forecast. Is there such a thing as a GLAD lamp?

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  14. Tell me about it! I despise the winter, as I’m a summer person who loves heat and bright sunlight. I’m sleepy a lot myself which annoys me as I hate sleeping so feeling sleepy a lot just feels like hours and hours wasted. i wish I could take off to St.Helena from October- April eevry year.

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    2. I understand you: as fate would have it we had the warmest spring in years when the virus decided to show it’s face here. So I have had no trips out with my mother this year at all ( not even seen her in person since last winter!!! ). I think of 2020 as the year that wasn’t.

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    1. I think it is. Sitting in the office in the afternoons, I definitely feel more motivated to write. But is has no effect on how depressing it is to trudge around in driving rain and slipping in mud. That’s something I have just been doing, out on the dog walk. 🙂
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  20. I haven’t seen snow since about 2007. 😦 Really don’t miss it but relive childhood memories of sledding and making snow angels and snowball fights. And of course mother yelling, “Wear your mittens! Don’t forget your scarf and put your boots on.”

    Think the high will be near 70 today. 😉

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    1. We have had snow some years sine moving up here, but I don’t like living with it. The roads are treacherous, and the public transport grinds to a halt. My dog seems to quite like it though.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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            1. I was very happy to have taken this photo. It breaks some of the accepted rules, as it is over-exposed, and the subjects (sheep) on the right are too close to the edge of the frame. But I really like to look at it, trying to forget how cold I was at the time. 🙂
              Best wishes, Pete.

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  23. I have enjoyed the last week of sub zero temperatures, cold crisp and sunny, but rarely above freezing. Warmer weather on the way for the weekend, but that will result in quite a bit of mud I fear 😦
    I think I prefer this to the cold wet winters on blighty 🙂 Keep that lamp on!

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