Sun

A Walk In The Sun

~ beetleypete ~ 55 Comments

No, not a review of the 1945 war film starring Richard Conte and Dana Andrews.

This is a dog-walk in Beetley, in 2021.

After the wettest May since records began, it finally stopped raining yesterday. It stayed overcast and uncomfortably humid though, and I took my umbrella on the walk, conscious of the threatening skies.

But today, we finally woke up to bright sushine, and by 1 pm the temperature was approaching 20 C. (68F)

After weeks of miserable weather, cold mornings, and chilly evenings, it felt rather exotic to see blue skies and feel some real heat in the air.

I could finally ditch the Wellington boots, get my shorts back on, and head out with Ollie wearing some comfortable lightweight shoes. I had almost forgotten what it felt like to feel the heat of the sun after just fifteen minutes of walking. Ollie had too, and he was straight into the river to cool down, the first of three lengthy dips he enjoyed this afternoon.

Over on Hoe Rough, the muddy paths were already drying out, and as long as I kept away from the boggy areas in the shade, the ground was firm enough for brisk walking. Ollie slipped under the fence and down the riverbank for his second time in the water, standing watching children playing in the river by the picnic tables, including a few who had brought along an inflatable boat.

After two full circuits over there, we headed back to Beetley Meadows to complete the walk in the woodland area. But Ollie diverted into the river once again, obviously still feeling the heat. By the time we had been through the woods and he had checked out some deer tracks, he was ready for home, and a big chicken dinner.

Worse Than No Sun?

~ beetleypete ~ 62 Comments

It’s only the 2nd of January, but here is my first weather moan of 2021.
(At least I am consistent)

Low Winter Sun. What a pain that is. We have had to close the curtains this morning, due to intense low sunshine that is piercing the house like the beam of an unwanted searchlight. Brighter by far than any normal summer sunshine, it can give you a headache in five seconds flat, believe me.

And if you live in Beetley, don’t even think about driving your car. As soon as you reverse out of the driveway, you will be blinded by an intense light that sunglases cannot cope with at all. Even trying to drive to the end of the street is impossible. You literally cannot see the front of your car.

Add that light reflected off of a damp tarmac road surface, and it is like being in a science-fiction film.

I have to have a SAD lamp because it is usually so dull. But this low sun makes it almost impossible to cope until it moves around later. It is almost worse than having no sun at all.

I know. Never happy! 🙂

The Last Gasp Of Summer

~ beetleypete ~ 65 Comments

On my short holiday, it didn’t rain at all. And there was only one dull and chilly day. I came home last weekend to an Indian Summer of high temperatures and blue skies. I haven’t seen any rain now since the night of the 6th, and that makes me very happy.

Today it is also bright and sunny, with some heat in the sunshine. Ollie is sleeping in a shaft of sunlight next to my desk, and I can hear soft music coming from a garden across the road. Nobody is cutting grass, drilling, or hammering. Traffic is light on the road outside, and peace dwells in Beetley so far this morning.

The weather people on TV tell us that this is all soon to change by Wednesday. Rain will arrive from the north-west, and the 24 C we are enjoying today will be down to a more seasonal 15 C.

Unusually, I am not complaining about that. We had a summer, and it was suitably hot. Then I had a holiday, with no rain. Then I came home to great weather as a bonus.

With all that has gone wrong in 2020, at least the weather finally worked.

The ‘Weather Bluff’

~ beetleypete ~ 68 Comments

It was very sunny this morning. That sun had some heat in it too. Enough for me not to have to put the central heating on.

At some points, the sky was actually blue. It almost convinced me that the bad times were over, and Spring had arrived in all its glory

But I wasn’t fooled for long.

By the time it came to take Ollie for his walk, it was clouding over. I grabbed my trusty umbrella, just in case.

Over on Hoe Rough, the mud was still deep and sitcky, though the afternoon stayed relatively warm. I trudged around with Ollie for the requisite couple of hours, not failing to notice that there was nobody else out walking their dog.

By home time, the clouds were gathering, and the temperature plummeting.

It is now almost 7 pm here, and the rain has started.

Nice try, Weather. But you didn’t fool me!

Swallowing flies

~ beetleypete ~ 43 Comments

I had to take Ollie out early yesterday. My car had been recalled for a manufacturer’s safety adaptation, and it was booked in for Ollie’s usual walking time. So I headed out much earlier than usual, at 11 am.

It was unusually warm for November, with real heat coming from the low sun that could also temporarily blind you, when walking in certain directions. At that time of day, there are few other people around, but Ollie was very lively, and rushing around smelling and marking as always. By the time we got to the river bend, I was regretting wearing even a light coat, and my legs and feet were hot, in my heavy rubber boots. But despite the warmth, I needed the boots for the damp grass, and the mud that remains from the last rainfall.

Turning along the riverside section of the path, It was hard to avoid the harsh glare of the reflections of the sun from the water. As I shielded my eyes, I was rather startled to see clouds of insects ahead, small gnats or midges, no doubt revitalised by the unexpected heat of what should have been a cold November day. Walking into them, I flapped my hand around to disperse them, and at the same time, I sneezed unexpectedly. A few steps further on, and I could feel something peculiar in my throat, a strange tickle that was completely unfamiliar. My natural inclination was to swallow.

As I caught up with the scampering dog, it dawned on me that a lot of those flies must have got into my mouth when I sneezed, and it was not at all pleasant to realise that I had swallowed them.

Today it is dark, cloudy, damp, and raining intermittently.

I doubt I will have to worry about swallowing any flies this afternoon.

No complaints

~ beetleypete ~ 76 Comments

Regular readers may have been (pleasantly) surprised to see that I have not posted one of my weather moans for some time now. Those weary posts about struggling through mud, battered by driving rain or hailstones are a regular feature on this blog, all year round. But there haven’t been any recently, in case you didn’t notice.

Typing in a whisper, hopefully not overheard by the weather gods, I have something very unusual to report. It isn’t raining in Beetley. And it hasn’t rained for quite some time now. In fact, it has been the best summer since we moved here, in 2012, and much of the UK is enjoying similar conditions. Being English, I am reluctant to mention this of course, for fear of jinxing the current dry spell.

The weather forecasters are saying that this could be the hottest and driest summer since 1976. I might even have to think about watering the few plants and herbs we have growing, something I have not needed to do since August 2013. My face and legs are tanned as brown as a berry, and even though I am festooned with an assortment of insect bites, nettle stings, and bramble cuts, I am a very happy blogger. Dry walks with Ollie, warm evenings sitting outside; I was even happy to have to cut the grass again last Thursday.

It hasn’t even been too uncomfortable at night, though I have resorted to using the large bedroom fan since Saturday. Windows open, washing drying on the spinny-thing, and clean fresh air to enjoy in abundance. This is what summer should be like.

I had almost forgotten.

A sunny weekend

~ beetleypete ~ 73 Comments

This is a long weekend in England, as Monday is a public holiday for (a belated) May Day.
Traditionally, we might expect some doom and gloom from the weather news. But no, we are forecast to have a relatively warm 18 degrees, and sunny weather, for the whole three days. They even suggested that it might rise to the magical 20 C (70 F) on one or more days.

At first, I was excited. Dry dog walks, more drying out of the mud, and no chilly nights to anticipate.
But then reality set in. This will mean that I will actually have to cut the (now dry) grass that is halfway up my legs in height. A long day of mower-toil, and constant emptying of the grass-box, as I tackle both the main lawn at the rear, as well as the smaller areas at the front and sides.

Once that is done, I will be left with overgrown gaps in the patio, and the vast collection of small sticks and bits of branches that have fallen from the oak trees since last October. And that’s not allowing for the leaf-clogged gutter pipes, or the various natural debris to be seen around the property.

So much for enjoying the sunshine.

The first day of summer

~ beetleypete ~ 29 Comments

Sunday the 7th of August felt like the first real day of summer here. A bright morning, followed by a glorious afternoon. Blue skies untroubled by clouds, save for some fluffy white ones floating high above on a gentle breeze. Gone was the grey, the humidity, and the oppressive temperatures of recent weeks. This was what a summer day should look like, and feel like too. No threat of rain, no ‘chance of showers later’ from the weatherman. Just a warm day, with hot sun out of the shade, and a blissful breeze by the riverbank.

This was the summer day of picnics, digging in the sand at the beach, queuing for ice creams from the van. On days like this, the sea looks blue, the grass even greener, and the shadows are short and sharp. On days like this, you want to sit in the garden with a beer, fire up the barbecue, or just rest on a park bench and watch the world go by. Bees buzz around, birds flap in the trees, and the ground feels hard and warm underfoot.

For Ollie, it was a day much like any other. He has no expectations, no disappointments. He is untroubled by rain, and unimpressed by sun. Just being out is enough for our faithful dog. He ran around as usual, took a dip in the river when he felt like it, and carried on just the same as if there had been a blizzard outside. He might pant a little harder, make river stops more frequently, but he is unaware of the seasons, it appears. To him, out is out, and that’s the end of it.

But for me, this is the sort of day you wait all year for. This is how summers felt in my youth, how children draw a day in summer in their books, and what a photo of a real summer should look like.

It might not last, but at least we had today.

A nice afternoon at the beach

~ beetleypete ~ 20 Comments

As I complain so much about bad weather, I thought it only right to balance that, by reporting on some very good weather instead.

This weekend, we were fortunate to have visitors, a rare event here in Beetley. Two of my cousins were coming to stay overnight, and it was their first time in the area, and also their first sight of our house, since we moved here, in 2012. After the rain and cloud that I had moaned about recently, we were a little concerned that the conditions for their visit would be miserable. When people make the effort to drive over four hours from London, we obviously want to show them around, and take them somewhere pleasant. And that is best done in good weather, naturally.

This time, the signs were promising. Saturday morning started off sunny and warm, and a quick check on the TV news promised no rain for the best part of two days. They arrived in good time, and after showing them around the house and garden, followed by a light lunch, we set off. Generally, we avoid the popular coastal resorts and favoured tourist spots at this time of year. It is peak holiday season, and everywhere is also crammed with children. We tend to wait until the school holidays are over, when the traffic has returned to normal, and only locals are out and about. But Saturday would have to be different, as we had both guests, and blue skies.

One of the better things about living here, is the proximity to the coast. Wells-Next-The-Sea is only twenty miles away, and on usually clear roads, is easily reached in twenty-five minutes by car. I told my cousins the intended destination, and with Ollie in his spot in the back, we set off; windows down, and sunglasses on. It finally felt as if summer had arrived. The journey was uneventful, and we got there remarkably quickly. But our luck didn’t last. Turning into the town, we discovered an unusually long queue of traffic. The streets there are narrow, and once a few cars are stuck, it becomes almost impossible for anyone to move, in any direction. After a few minutes, we got to a junction where we could see down towards the quay. The traffic was backed up as far as the eye could see. Still over a mile from the beach car park, they were queuing to get onto the road that eventually leads to the road that goes to the car park.

I made the only sensible decision, and got out of there at the next junction, heading for Holkham instead. The beach at Holkham is huge, and one of the best beaches I have ever seen in England. It is so large, it is over a mile, from the car park to the sea. And as it is devoid of facilities of any kind, it also feels totally unspoilt. Mind you, I had never seen it this busy. We had a slight delay getting into the already crowded overflow car park, but once we had bought our ticket, and got Ollie out, we were happily heading off into the warm afternoon, along with crowds of others, doing exactly the same thing.

The path runs through some pleasant pine woods, before opening out to the amazing vista of the beach fringed by sand dunes. Despite the amount of space available there, the visitors had made a good effort at almost filling it up, at least close to the water’s edge. We went into the sea, which was not cold at all, and even Ollie, who is not fond of salt water, followed me into the shallows. There were families enjoying traditional beach pursuits; swimming, building sand castles, and sitting inside wind-breaks. Plenty of other dogs were running around for Ollie to look at, and the coastal breeze made it all feel incredibly pleasant. After our spell of paddling, we retired to a vacant dune, to relax and watch the world go by for a while.

One of my cousins mentioned the nearby Holkham Hall, a stately home and deer park. She said that she would like to have seen it. But it was already 4.30, so we suggested returning on Sunday morning, when we could allow more time. I drove back along the coast road to Cromer, to show my relatives the best of the area. We got home in time to get ready to go out to eat at the local Thai restaurant. During the meal, we all agreed that it had been a great afternoon out.

Today, we went to Holkham Hall, as promised. That will be a different post, with photos

Isn’t it ironic?

~ beetleypete ~ 32 Comments

This post should really be included in my Significant Songs category. However, with few exceptions, they are generally songs that relate to certain periods in my past, and memories, good or bad. The song that popped into my head this morning relates to two current issues affecting my life; feeling ill, and the weather. I have already posted about feeling unwell, so I won’t elaborate on that. As for the weather, well you all know how much I complain about that, don’t you?

After almost a month of rain and damp, I awoke this morning to the unfamiliar sight of bright sunshine. The room felt warm, and the clouds were no longer black in colour, though they were still there of course. Between the slowly moving pillows of cloud, I could make out blue sky, and sun rays were actually entering the room. I gazed at this spectacle with the wonder of someone who has never experienced it before, as if encountering the ocean for the first time.

I decided to get up immediately, and make the most of this rare bounty. But in all the excitement, I had forgotten I was ill. My efforts to exit the bed were similar to that of a robot in dire need of oiling and maintenance. Limbs failed to respond as they should, and the movement of my hips was accompanied by sharp pains, with a dull ache coming from my back, for good measure. The usual few seconds required to get up and put on a dressing-gown (not the fluffy one today, too warm) were extended to well over a minute, as I hauled my reluctant carcass from the mattress.

Walking as if my knees and hips were fixed in position, I made it out to the kitchen, putting the kettle on, and greeting a still-dozing Ollie, bleary-eyed on his bed. Once the morning coffee was ready, I took some pain-killers and shuffled off to sit on the office chair, the most comfortable option at the moment. Reading through some blogs, and replying to comments from last night, I was aware of the sun increasing in intensity through the window of the small room. The nicest day in weeks, and here I was, feeling like I had been hit by a car during the night, and that it had reversed back over me later, to ensure the job was done correctly. I chuckled at the irony, and the song came to mind.

When Alanis Morissette released her song ‘Ironic’ in 1996, I doubt that she had Beetley in mind. Or for that matter, an occasionally very grumpy retired Englishman, shaking his fist at the black clouds overhead. But as a wet July gives way to the hope of a brighter August, it has become the soundtrack to my summer, in 2015.