Sunday 22 July 2007

Life Goes On

Life goes on with each new day bringing it's different challenges.
Our Canadian guests have returned to Calgary.
We are spending a day tomorrow sailing on a stretch of the British Waterways in our friends barge. We had initially thought we would spend more time with them but their schedule did not fit in with ours so a day is better than not seeing them at all. Although the forecast is for rain I am sure I will have plenty of photographs.
Tuesday begins our time with "Soul in the City" (see a previous post). I went to have a look around the library area this afternoon and it is hard to see the shrubs for the weeds and the Columbine is covering everything. So looks like it will be hard work. We are praying for a good raport with the kids and opportunities for good conversations with the folks around.
Our weather continues to misbehave. We have had some more flooding in the garden but nothing like last week. Others have been less fortunate. In Berkshire which is west of London there are homes with 5 feet of water in their living rooms. A hospital on the South Coast had 18 inches of water in their ground floor wards. Barges have drowned under bridges on canals and in some places cars have become emersed under bridges. Friday was the first day of the school summer holidays and there were 40 miles of stationary cars on the M5 overnight as the roads were impassable.
In London 20 Underground stations were closed and 140 flights cancelled at Heathrow. There are many places holding their breath waiting for rivers to overflow some more as the water seeps down from the hills.
So we count ourselves very fortunate to have nothing more than a flooded garden.
Apparently we have low pressure from the jet stream that has been sitting over our country for some weeks now with not enough wind from the South to shift it.
So here are some beautiful photos from my garden taken before the storm and the first 3 I took today to show that not everything was damaged in the storm.
I will get to sorting my Oxford photographs sometime soon.


















12 comments:

Susan said...

This weather is crazy and excessive all over. Our rain finally stopped after 39 consequetive days!!! Have you started any of those books yet?
Susan

Jeanne said...

Beautiful gardens and posts.
Here we need rain
Everything is so very dry.
Much love
Jeanne

Anonymous said...

We have been hearing all about the flooding and it looks terrible. Glad your all ok. The photo of your rose bush looks like a pose, it is so perfect.

Have a great week.

la bellina mammina said...

The weather here has been crazy too! Have a good sailing day!

Anonymous said...

Your clems look spectacular! I've only started growing them and they bloomed this spring but are on summer vacation now ;-)

Tina said...

Hi Barbara,

Glad to know that not all your garden has suffered with these crazy rainy days we are having lately. Your pictures look great as always.
Have a great week.
x

lorenzothellama said...

Hello Barabara. Your plants and flowers look gorgeous. Glad you are not flooded but can't help thinking of the people in Tewskbury. No water, no electricity and floods. As you say a flooded garden is just an irritation compared to this. My own lake very quickly subsided.

Hope you have a good time on the barge. I used to sail at Mersey Island and the Blackwater with my father when I was little, and loved watching the barges. They are so beautiful with their lovely red sails.
Lorenzo.

TO BECOME said...

I am glad your garden didn't flood. I know how awful floods can be first hand living on the coast of Texas. We always have an eye out this time of year in case a hurricane gives us a visit. I love the beautiful flowers. They are are such a blessing to me.

Lorrie said...

We've heard about all the rain and flooding in the UK. We're having our share of the wet, but nothing like that. Your clematis is beautiful and looks just like mine! But mine has almost finished blooming due to the extreme heat we had about 10 days ago.

Betty said...

Barbara, just touching base with you...so happy that you are enjoying your visit with your friends....

Marion, in Wales, called this afternoon and said flooding is horrific in England and so much rain in Wales......too much rain is as detrimental as lack of it.....

I've missed chatting with you....hope all is well with you and Janie's family......

Take care....God Bless....Betty

Mountain Mama said...

I found your link at Susans. I love gardens and had to come and take a peek.
Your pictures are wonderful.

Linds said...

Hi Barbara, I came via Susan's blog. Your photos are so beautiful! I am really glad your floodign is not too bad. I live in Northants and we are fine here too, but my heart really goes out to everyone in Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire. I will be back to read more.
PS My daughter used to work for All Saints Peckham, and was very involved with Soul in the City! She works for a church in NZ now.