Serious Drought?

I know we all keep saying it, but how bizarre it seems to us that much of the country has had such an awfully dry year and is apparently facing another drought next year. Telling you over the phone how wet it has been here really doesn't do it justice, but perhaps some pictures from today might help explain!

We normally have a path and a 'herbaceous border' along the back of the house. Today we had a moat and a water garden.


Neighbours were worse off, with run off from the fields rushing down the drive and across doorways. Sandbags had to be put in place in a hurry - fortunately they did the trick.

We needed to get to Glenridding to pick something up, along the way we passed a few local becks. You know the sort, picturesque trickling stream. The kind poets write about - like Trout Beck, just across the A66 from here...



or Aira Beck down at Dockray...



The road along Ullswater was the same as many others - passable with care. That's Ullswater on the left, getting very close to being level with the road

And then Red Tarn Beck at Glenridding, just before it runs into the lake, seen here on both sides of the bridge

That's the bridge which is normally many feet above the water line!