A Soggy Start to 2024

 It was raining like mad last night, it is raining like anything today, so I've spent New Years Day on the sofa. 

In fact, we seem to have been enduring rain and stormy winds for the entire holiday season! There is so much flooding around here, with Sconce Park pastures and large chunks of Farndon village being below water. But I've still managed to get out running a few times, albeit going very slowly, and really enjoyed being out there, spotting the first signs of the colours of spring. 

In addition to snowdrops, we have the first flowering aconite, mahonia and most strangely, cowslips in bloom in the library gardens. 

I've enjoyed watching tweeping flocks of goldfinch working on teasel heads, long tailed tits flitting through willow trees by the lake and river, and on New Years Eve a huge buzzard sat on the ground in a paddock, staring intently at something under a battleship grey sky. 

There's a lot of world out there, and I intend to explore more of it than I have been doing. 

Si

All text and images copyright Cream Crackered Nature 01.01.24

Wading Time

 Sadly not a post about spotting wading birds, but rather a walk at the weekend in the rain.

I've had a sore back the last couple of weeks, as well as a cold, so I've not been out too much. Determined to go out on Saturday despite the rain, I went out in full waterproofs and wellingtons, wellingtons I've only worn once before, and headed down to the park to see how the flooding was going. 

Well the water has receded somewhat, but the heavy rain that day was making them rise again, and a lot of the path by the River Devon was underwater. However, with wellies on, I was able to power on through! 

I felt ever so slightly adventurous, rather than slow and lazy for a change. 

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 06.11.23

The Flooded Town

 Well, Storm Babet hit us much harder than it initially seemed it would. There was a day of strongish wind and a bit of rain, then a calm Thursday, but Friday it suddenly started raining and blowing a hoolie unexpectedly. 

Apparently, some sort of atmospheric block up north skewed the storm back down the east coast, and a month of rain fell in twenty four hours, blocking roads, cutting off villages and creating a lot of misery in places like Lowdham and Retford, that visits from a government minister - Teresa Coffey - did very little to alleviate, to say the least. 

Here, the Trent and Devon burst their banks, and also the vast housing developments on the edge of town caused hitherto non flood plain areas finding themselves underwater as the water ran off the estates. 

The cricket club is underwater, of course, as is the rugby club. Devon Pastures in the park was turned into a lake. A charity duck race has been cancelled, as it was feared the ducks would end up in the North Sea rather than the lock as they were supposed to. 

All that rain gave me a cold too. 

Si

All text and images copyright Cream Crackered Nature 25.10.23

Today the Bees are out Hooray!

I went for a walk to the park this morning, as is my habit, and when I made my way along the bright yellow lock gardens, photographing the cowslips there, I came across a golden flash, and lo and behold a bee landed on the cowslips and began to feed!

First honeybee of the year, and a bee far too busy to be photographed! It moved across to have a go at the primroses, then flew off into the locked garden proper.

There was another on the blossom in the park, another speedy bee went past, again not interested in posing for a photo. But it was on the strange setting on a concrete windowsill, that a bee stopped for a quick rest in the sun. It was no wonder that it needed one, as its saddlebags were looking rather heavy, but it meant that I was able to really test out my newish cameraphone and I'm rather pleased at the results.

When I was walking in the afternoon, the sun had gone, and the wind had got up so no more buzzers on the wing. I went out to our cricket ground, and it's still a lake, decorated by the wreck of our club captain's old car that was wrecked by the floods, and then broken into with an angle grinder.

I hope everyone is still well, take care out there.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 07.03.20

Aaaaand we're Under Water Again

These are pictures I took yesterday of a swollen, near raging River Trent flowing through the town.

It's gotten considerably worse overnight; the river has hit a level at Farndon of 2.6m which is just a little bit down on the all time record of 2.76m and we are reaching the levels of flooding we had back in 2000.

Our cricket ground is well and truly drowning, as is the rugby club, the sugar factory and the caravan site at Smeatons lakes. Gunthorpe is cut off.

As someone said in the media today, we have now had 3 sets of "once in a lifetime" flooding in 14 years in some parts of the country. So there's something to think about.

I've also been thinking a lot of by various neuro issues today; my tics have been really bad at times, caused by the usual fixated thinking causing internal stress. The usual internal debate about which symptoms are Tourettes, and which are Autism.

It's a lot to think about.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 18.02.20

Our Poor Cricket Ground

So, sore hip and heel and everything, I thought I'd try and get my mindset ready for the upcoming cricket net practice by having a walk down the cricket ground to see what was what down there.

The good news is that the floodwater has receded, but my oh my, the poor ground is in a terrible state. The grass has been scarred away in many places, leaving mud and algal deposits on the outfield, and it is still very boggy.

It is going to be a real all hands to the pump - literally - job to have a hope of having the ground ready for the new season, and even then it's a slim chance as mega reseeding is going to be needed.

I have been thinking about what I want to achieve this season, cricket-wise. First thing is to get fit; I'm in terrible shape at the moment and I don't seem to be able to do much exercise without hurting something. I've been a bit of wreckage physically since mum died, basically.

Technically, when it comes to bowling, I'd like to do some technical stuff to stop my feet splaying on delivery - it makes me fall away and bowl about a million wides a game. How I can stop this I don't know. Got to bowl around the wicket more too to make the outswinger more dangerous.

I want to field better, I've got good reflexes but they tend to be mainly employed in getting out of the way of the ball rather than stopping it. Plus the fact that I'm as clumsy as anything.

Batting, well how I'd love to get a 50. But realistically I'm too terrible so would settle for a 30. Seeing as I can hit the ball hard, that may be possible.

Key is to STOP STRESSING and enjoy the game more.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 05.01.20

More Newark Flooding

Back in the game.

We've had a lot of rain - no shit Sherlock! - and although we haven't been hit as badly as other towns a little further North, we have been a bit soggy in town again, which I've walked around photographing like any good rubbernecker should.

Our poor cricket ground is still underwater on the wrong side of the flood bank, with the only action being Jonathan Livingstone Seagull opening the bowling from the scorebox end. A lot of firework displays were lost, including the major rugby club one.

So, now the sad explanation for my absence. We lost mum last weekend in the early hours of Sunday, after her blood pressure had a sudden decline and caused kidney failure. Obviously this was devastating to our little family, and I'm just about hanging on in trying to make good things come from this situation.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 10.11.19