Business as usual

After my earlier posts (here, here, here and here) about the surprising lack of precipitation in the North West, I can happily say that normal weather conditions have now resumed. For the last week or so, we have had rain nearly every day. Some days (like today) have seen torrential downpours. I note, though, that United Utilities still have a hosepipe ban in place, despite the excessive wetness.

At first, the return of the rain was a relief. I know the gardens and grassy areas are now looking healthier. I just wish it would stop now; just for a minute or two. We haven't seen the sun for ages!
In writing this post, I've realised that I grumble on about the weather with alarming regularity. I suppose it shows I'm truly British.
58 days

Thunder and lightning

Last night we were treated to a rare (for Lancater) display of nature's power in the form of a spectaular thunderstorm. LittleLanky slept right through the excitement, but MrsLanky and I were woken by the show. 

I know some people find it scary, and I can understand why, but I just find it exciting. It's like taking part in an extreme sport without leaving the comfort of your own bed. A little bit of risk, but zero effort!

Needless to say, the rain that accompanied the thunder and lightning means that the water butt is now full, and I certainly don't need to water any plants today. Maybe United Utilities can postpone the hosepipe ban for a little longer.

Here comes the rain

I'm not often pleased to see the rain, but today is an exception. The rain has arrived (with its customary odd smell), and I'm happy. The strawberries in the garden would be delighted if they were capable of emotion. I can feel the water butt filling as I type... It's still warm though!

79 days

The many joys of a British summer

England are through the group stages of the world cup and set to take on the old enemy this weekend. Shock exits for Italy and France have shaken the tournament up a bit after its slow start! Live streaming footage available from ITV and the good old Beeb mean that those with a desktop PC at work (and no bandwidth or IP restrictions) are able to watch and work (I learnt I could actually multitask during England's last game).

Wimbledon is off to a flyer! Warm and dry weather mean no lost time so far, and the most epic of matches concluded yesterday to give us all a reminder that, for all the training and precision of the serve-volley game, it's still possible for a surprise to turn up occasionally.

The England cricket team have beaten the other old enemy, Australia, twice in three days! And it was in the 50 over format of the game; one which we are meant to be bad at (though opinion seems to be turning).

Add all this to the hospipe-ban-weather, and the rare site of yellow-brown lawns in Lancaster, and it makes me realise why I love the summer. The only way to top it off would be if a farner came to me and asked me to help with hay-making. That would bring back some very happy childhood memories of Salesis Farm.

First of the lasts

This weekend saw the first of many things we will do for the last time in Lancaster over the coming weeks. At the end of the summer term, the 'Postgrad Group', to which the Lankies belong, are 'volunteered' for the job of providing a barbecue lunch after the Sunday morning service at the Chaplaincy Centre. On one notable and now legendary occasion, I recall the Lancaster weather providing some challenging conditions. Mr H and I were chief barbecue operatives, and we ended up sheltering under umbrellas whilst the rainwater rose around our ankles. We ended up barbecueing in about 6 inches of standing water, such was the ferocity of the rain storm.

Thankfully, the last Chaplaincy barbecue for which we are likely to be responsible was accomanied by glorious weather. The sun shone all day, as it is set to do for much of this week.

Lancaster is noted for it's challenging weather patterns, but our final year here has been great (so far). A proper winter with snow that stuck (the first in 13 years living in Lancaster), and a dry and warm summer which will hopefully continue a little longer!

This weekend also saw our last term-time 'Reflect' service. The undergraduate students will all be departing next weekend, and by the time 7pm on Sunday comes around, they will all be gone. Reflect does continue through the vacation, but with more modest numbers. This means the music has to change slightly - we'll lose a couple of accomplished part-singers, so we'll go for more simple songs and chants. This changes the essential character of the services until the undergrads return in October. 

After the service last night, I had a look back through the register of services. It seems we started Reflect in October 2006 - wow! It's amazing how time flies, and how services like this evolve. We've settled into a pattern of fairly traditional liturgies. We still have a mix of music from the Iona Community, Taize and a few good-old hymns, but we seem to have drifted into an amount of liturgical consistency which I had never envisaged at the beginning. 
Anyway, we're now on the home straight with Reflect. Fortunately, volunteers have come forward to take on the admin side of the service, so it will keep going after we've gone to Cambridge. This makes me very happy!
86 days to go

Lovely day

It's amazing what a difference the sun can make. Today is gloriously sunny in LankyLand, and there's a noticable spring in my step. Am I the only one who is much more productive and cheery when the sun has got its hat on? 

One thing I'm looking forward to about our move southward is the higher average temperatures and the more frequent appearance of the sun. LankyLand is one of those places where the word 'summer' has an elusive and mythical status in the lexicon!

(The picture shows the UV part of the spectrum - hence the green)

Snow across Great Britain

I thought I'd link to the NASA original too...

Snow across Great Britain

Amazing image

I've not posted anything in ages! It's been a hectic few weeks, and I'm only just getting back into the swing of things.

I just had to post about this image from the BBC, courtesy of NASA:

Amazing!

It's just not cricket!

Following days of rain in Manchester, there is a result in the quarter final of the Twenty20 competition. Somerset have won on a bowl-out.

I think that this is even worse than a penalty shootout in football. Cricket is a tactical and subtle game - even in its Twenty20 format. It's like like deciding a chess match by flipping a coin.

Needless to say, I'm quite disappointed. Lancashire are running out of competitions this season.

Rain stopped play

On Tuesday evening there were some very wet people waiting for cricket at Old Trafford; I was one of them. We thought we might see some play in the quarter final between Lancashire and Somerset, but after an evening of prolonged and sometimes heavy rain, the decision was taken to abandon play. The reserve day was yesterday, and it rained harder:


The good news for me is that because the reserve day was washed out, I get a full refund. The bad news is that if they don't manage to play 10 overs a side at some point today, the game will come down to a bowl out, which will be indoors if necessary. Call me old fashioned, but that's just not cricket!

Hopefully the weather at Edgbaston will clear up a bit this morning. At least with test cricket we should get some play over 5 days!

Bank holiday weather

Let's hope this forecast for the coming Bank Holiday weekend in Lancaster is accurate.

Brrrrrrr

It looks cold in Dorset at the moment! You don't often see the sea frozen around Brtitain. This is the rare scene in Poole Harbour, Dorset.