rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, rain. oh and more rain

We get the rain here first, SW Wales. Lots of small rivers and streams overflowing, but nothing terribly major. I feel so sorry for people like Kitty that have water in their homes. We have very sandy soil so most water drains quickly. However I think we have reached saturation point and large puddles are forming on lawns.
DD tells me they have forecast a very good summer. One can only hope

I’m sure I read once that all the tarmac we lay doesn’t help - car parks etc, plus decking in gardens.

Its even been raining here in Norfolk all day. Usually it manages to bypass us which is fortunate as quite a bit of Norfolk is pretty boggy anyway. Luckily I’m on one of the highest points in the county - 300 feet.

Very true, Urmstongran - tarmac and concrete - or anything else that forms a barrier between the water and the soil - really aggravates the problems.

other factors are the compaction of soils by heavy modern agricultural vehicles, the loss of hedges and trees- paving of driveways, etc, etc. In some areas, like the part of Surrey where DD1 lives, the houses with large gardens have been knocked down to put 4 or more houses with tiny gardens which are mainly paved. Nowhere for water to go.

I feel sorry for those who are flooded but I feel compelled to tell you that this is our world! It hasn’t stopped raining here in the north west, except for brief times, for weeks now! We just live with it constantly!

Yesterday it was 14C on my back patio and I was gardening in a t-shirt and track pants. Autumn was mainly dry and crisp though lately there has been more rain. No I'm not in the South but the West of Scotland.

Esspee Do you have a very large umbrella?

It was dry in October !

Please don't feel sorry for me- this is a regular occurrence for us - albeit a bit worse this time. Dh says it's the price we pay for living in a house we love. We can do nothing until we have a run of 3 dry days when dh has nothing in his diary!

must say- give me snow, anyday ;)

I've had to drive through flood water today and absolutely hated it. My neighbour is now building an ark.

Anniebach Fri 20-Dec-19 18:44:20
It was dry in October

I must have been having a nap - missed it!
☔️☔️☔️☔️☔️☔️☔️☔️☔️☔️☔️☔️☔️☔️☔️☔️☔️☔️☔️☔️☔️☔️☔️
Drove over to Norfolk today, lots of sizeable patches of lying water but OK to drive through with care.
A couple of hairy moments getting Hattie to her kennels this morning though.
The weather plus the volume of traffic made it all very stressful.

I missed it too, Maw.
What part of the country are you in, Anniebach?

Well GG13 and Maw I think you’ve both done superbly, driving in such hazardous conditions today. Bet you were so relieved to park up!
?

It is MR.Gravys Birthday today, so this evening we trudged up the hill to our local very good restaurant, and meandered back dodging enormous puddles, we are on London clay and I do not think it can absorb any more.

I was Urmstongran I had forgotten how Norfolk goes on forever and seriously worried about driving off the edge of the world.
Three hours from home to here! I have only ever done this journey once before (when I got very lost) and the roads have changed around Cambridge ???
So huge relief!

I’ve never been to Norfolk Maw but your description of the expansive flatlands reminded me of a film I watched recently ‘45 years’ starring Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtney. It did look a beautiful part of the world - quite ethereal really.

Still, hunched over a steering wheel, tense, in heavy rain, windscreen wipers going at the double ....
?

Eldest AC is living in Kenya, it has been raining every day since June, one river is 2m above normal, has wiped out the “glamping” hotels we stayed in 4 weeks ago.

You obviously spotted me!

Env Agency issued a flood alert followed by a flood warning 10 am today. River by our house was rising until a couple of hours ago and is now sitting at a peak......just hoping the river level will fall in the next few hours. Our house is above the flood waters but a deceased neighbour's house has flooded many times and we are keeping a watchful eye on it ( have moved stuff off the floor in the lowest room). We won't get much sleep tonight.

oh dear, poor you - keep warm and safe, and ...let's hope, dry.

seriously worried about driving off the edge of the world.

Welcome to my world, Maw. You should try it in deep snow when you can't see where the roads end and the ditches begin.

I will have to tackle the new bits of the A14 around Cambridge on Monday morning as we head off for north west London. I will be trying to listen to SatNav's calming directions and DH will be yelling that we're in the wrong lane!

Can't wait!

Good luck Merlot!

Any info re A14 gladly received- we are bracing it in a couple of weeks. Good luck, merlot let us know that you made it!