I almost called this post “rain, rain, rain RAIN“, and those words would have settled nicely to the rhythm of Baldrick’s WW1 poem. For those of you who haven’t heard it, see here.
I am heartily sick of being utterly drenched, but that’s nothing compared to the suffering of those living in Cumbria who have been flooded, yet again. This time, at Christmas.
My sister and her partner live in Morecambe, a stone’s throw away from the ocean, so they escaped the floods, but suffered power failure for several days as the Lancaster power station had flooded. They had no electricity, heating or water, but fortunately did have a coal fire which provided them with heat and a little light. They almost mastered the art of cooking on a coal fire.
An unexpected outcome of power failure is that all the local shops close, so their supplies ran out alarmingly quickly. I tried to order online groceries for them, but every delivery slot had been taken for the next month!
Just as hubs and I were about to navigate the flooded, caved-in roads, armed with a huge red cross parcel, the power was restored. Now it’s off again, so we may be heading there after all!
Each year, as Christmas approaches, an appliance breaks down. This year it happened to be the washing machine. I won’t go into the flood that occurred when hubs disconnected the darn thing, despite me reminding him to turn the water off first.
So, we ordered a replacement stressing the point that it was an integrated unit. We asked if all doors fitted all machines, and after being assured that that was the case we went ahead with the order. Guess what? Yeah…. the unit door didn’t fit the new washing machine….so now we have a glaring white, doorless monstrosity!!!
So what IS a gal to do? Well, I asked the chap who is making the raised beds if he could have a go at cutting new fittings into the existing door, hey, who knows, maybe the unit door will end up back on the washing machine!
I now have two raised beds. HUGE they are! Four more to come!
This is the time of year when, yet again, I wonder why I leave everything until the last minute. To date I have bought Christmas cards….I have NO pressies, NO decorations are up, and, even worse, no lists are written. A heap of lists tend to comfort me.
I’m feeling a tad virtuous though, as I managed a tentative start re the autumn clear up. I began in the courtyard, as it actually stopped raining for an hour, so I whipped the brush out and got stuck in. Gosh, the difference it makes…
I also replenished all the feeders, tell you what, feeding pets and wildlife certainly doesn’t come cheap!
I just LOVED this reindeer I stumbled across in Liverpool one.
But, I have to say that I do prefer the tiny little tree the girls put up in the wildlife unit!
For some reason, I always find the rescue sheep, snug and warm in the barn, really Christmassy!
Talking of the rescue, I had to do a Christmas talk for a local TV station there today, and decided to take Annie along. Struth, that was a huge mistake I can tell you! Holding a barking dog, pulling on the lead with one hand, and a wriggling hedgehog in the other almost rendered me speechless! I actually have no recollection of what I said! Talk about waffling…sighs….and I have to live with these interviews, online, forever!
And Finally….
it would appear that Buddy has found the clean laundry basket, and has decided it’s the perfect bed for a little guy!!!
Thanks Glo, sadly those poor people are being flooded as I type, how awful it must be!
How LOVELY to hear my Snowbird star is up , that has me smiling away!
Hahahahaha…..you DO make me laugh!!! All the very best to you and your too, I hope you had a lovely Christmas and managed to sort out all the disasters!xxx
Oh my! So sorry to hear about the flooding and the endless rain. If it’s any consolation, your Snowbird star light is on top of my tree, so you see, you have a decoration up…even if it is in another country. I hope your washing machine debacle gets straightened out. Standing outside in dirty clothes in the rain, wiggling about trying to emulate an agitator could get old pretty fast 😉 It will all come out in the wash. Did I say that?
I wish you, your family, your critters, and everyone else’s critters that you care for, the most very best terrific and wonderful Christmas possible.
Yes the weather has been terrible the last few weeks, just feels like we have had no sunshine at all, just rain and wind. I really do feel for those flooded out.
Looking forward to seeing your raised beds being used next year, they look great.
Thanks Annie, it’s awful to see homes being flooded on the TV as I type. The rain and wind are getting very old aren’t they? It’s so very dreary! I can”t wait to get those raised beds going.xxx
Just catching up. You always are sooo busy. The planters look fab.
Thanks Garden Girl. I hope all is well with you and your new garden is coming along nicely.xxx
ps…. the Arose-amongst-thorns thing seemed to expire without any warning… so am just a Rosie for the time-being! No longer a lilo neither I think……!xxx
I know!!!!! Poof!!!You’ll have to set up somewhere else, I hear wordpress is quite good. I hope you managed to copy all your posts before the site closed. It sad to see it go!xxx
Oh how wretched about the washing machine! Hope that is all sorted out and fixed by now – I hates being without washing machine!
I feel very sorry for the poor flooded people – what a truly horrendous thing it must be….awful…. I feel very grateful to be in house on legs sort of up higher rather than down lower…. and nowhere near any mad gushing rivers etc… I think people need to build another storey up top of the house where possible and abandon the ground floor and just move upwards in readiness for potential floods… easier said than done though of course! I have times of working out a floating house that would just rise up but puzzle over all the services – pipework and so on….hmmm…..
Fancy Buddy getting in the clean washing…
I haven’t written a single Christmas card yet nor bought anything for Christmas apart from a bottle of Baileys…… !!!xxx
Hi Rosie, hope all is well with you. The washing machine is still doorless and will probably remain that way!
It sad to see that flooding and as I type they are being flooded again adding insult to injury.
Maybe all houses should now be built on legs, that would certainly help in flood risk areas. You should keep working on your floating house idea, it could make you a small fortune! I suppose it would have to be based on boat plumbing only more efficient.
I hope you managed to get sorted for Christmas and enjoyed the bottle of Baileys!!!xxx
My husband used to travel abroad a lot for his work and you could guarantee that as soon as he stepped foot out of the door an appliance would break down – every single time! I hope all stays well for your sister. Buddy looks so cosy in that photo. Have a great week. xx
It’s Murphy’s law isn’t it???? Appliances ALWAYS break down at the worst possible times! Thanks Veggie Mummy.xxx
I had a flood with the washing machine not to mention cystitis for 8 weeks.But my kitchen is not fitted so I just rang the shop and asked him.He said,no point mending the old machine as I could have Hoover model for £225,It’s great. An engineer visit is £55 then there is buying the parts.I’m glad now as this machine is better.
Gosh,I l know Morecambe as I grew up near Manchester and we went to Arnside and Silverdale which I love.We went to Morecambe by bus once..I went out in a boat and got caught in a storm.It can be rough out there but Morecambe Bay is stunning.I ‘veeven seen it from the top of the Langdale Pikes.. fantastic view.
Good to hear you sorted out your washing machine problems. Hope all is well healthwise too!
My sister lives opposite Morecambe Bay so has marvelous views of the mountains. It is a beautiful spot but as you say it can be treacherous! Thanks Katherine.xxx
Oh me, oh my. That appliance business has been going around. I wonder if they catch viruses, like people. I have a friend who swears appliances break when Mercury is in retrograde. I don’t hold with those sorts of explanation, but I did check, and Mercury is behaving just now, so that’s not the issue.
We’re having good rain today, and I think everyone’s pretty happy about it. My windows have a bit of steam on them, which means we’ve finally broken out of the 70F range and are going to have more seasonal temperatures. Even a little nippy would be appreciated. Once I get my cyber tasks done, and finish my coffee, I’m going to disturb the cat and begin vacuuming. I swore that, before I put out a single decoration this year, I’d clean the house first. I’d better get cracking. It’s getting close. The gloomy weather will help.
I love the sheep, and Buddy looks just as happy as can be. If warm and dry is his goal, he’s got the solution.
Lol….you have me googling Mercury in retrograde! I think I’ll have to go with the virus theory!
We’re still having rain, I really must send some of it your way!
I do hope you managed all the Christmas cleaning and managed to put your decorations up.
Buddy being so small manages to find the most inaccessible spots! Thanks Menhir.xxx
Oh no, not the washing machine! These things are sent to try us … you guys have been having a deluge up there ;( Hope it clears up soon and cheers everyone up!
These things are certainly sent to try us….seems it all about water….indoor and out! Sighs….still it rains…..thanks Gilly.xxx
Goodness, you’ ll be having your own tv show next, I bet your public loved seeing Annie.
You are going to love your raised beds, but I warn you, filling them up is a mammoth task.
Boom, boom, boom, but it will stop raining one day. Maybe, next spring. Meanwhile the garden is one big, soggy mess, I hate not being able to get out in it.
That dog is spoilt rotten. I’ m surprised he hasn’ t commandeered your bed. Only a matter of time.
Good luck with the washing machine.
Lol…the tv and I are not at one….AT ALL! You remind me that I must go and check to see if Annie made her debut! Hopefully she will distract attention from me!
I agree re filling those raised beds, I think I shall have to order in a ton of topsoil, but intend to use all sorts from the garden. I’ve been saving the compost from my compost bins along with turf and other garden waste, but it’s going to be one heck of a job!
Still it rains, my gardens are now mini lakes, it’s all rather worrying and now the second wave of floods are occurring….sighs, those poor people!
Re the bed…..hmmmmmm….he commandeered that months ago!xxx
What is it about appliances that they always seem to die on holidays? Seasonal depression? I loved the WWI poem and hope your “rain, rain, rain, rain” lets up long enough for you to get some sun to dry things out. Nice raised beds!
It a given that appliances break down on holidays!! Every time. I can’t wait to get filling all the raised beds, two here four to arrive, they’ll certainly take some filling! Thanks Brenda. xxx
So sorry to here about all the floods and your family’s problem with all the shops closed with power cuts it been raining here too we had to move our garden swing last night only one bit of wood came off but we can repair that or David can with my help of holding the wood while he fixes it Blessing to you and your family
It seems to be raining in all sorts of places where it shouldn’t be. I hope it stops raining for you too and you manage to repair your swing. Thanks Linda, good wishes to you and yours too.xxx
Water, water everywhere and not a drop in sight…..which is probably how your sister and her husband felt when the power went off. The floods and all the ensuing problems, ie. power outages, are a huge reminder of what it is to live without all the stuff we all take for granted! Oh boy….let’e hope it stops raining for all of you.
As for washing machines, etc…..I hate all that stuff….but I do LOVE your new raised beds….wow….maybe I can have one in my flat:)
Stay warm, dry and enjoy the beautiful Xmas decorations….and by the way I am with you all the way with small Xmas trees. When I was married, my husband loved huge Xmas tress, and so to counteract that i would have a lovely small Victorian type tree at the other end of the house:)
Love to you and all the furies at this crazy time of the year, and know that ‘this too shall pass…….’ xxx
How true Janet, water everywhere and yet not a drop in the taps! It does go to show how dependant we all are on electricity, and how dismal life would be for us all without such basic resources. It’s awful to see yet more floods on the TV as I’m typing….it seems they are a feature now, we need to re-think how we deal with them. I’d start by taking all the flags in gardens up!
Lol….and why not have a raised bed in your flat! You have me smiling re your little Christmas tree, the older I get the simpler I like it.
Thanks Janet. Love to you too.xxx
Oh, gad, speaking of when it rains…here, too, though I’m sure that’s not too consoling…expecting another inch of rain tomorrow. I miss snow; this endless gray and wet is disheartening. but it’s cheerful indoors, as it always looks in your own home, despite the washing machine debacle. And the rescue’s tree! How charming!
I would lie down and sleep with the sheep, provided they did not pooh on me, they look like such cozy companions.
Good lord, those are amazing raised beds. I would need stilts to get in, I think. This one is just stunning! i think you should get in there with a glass of wine to kind of consecrate it for future planting!
Your willingness to help your sister and her partner IS Christmas, so who cares what stage you’re at with the decorations; the spirit’s already present, as always in your heart. And I bet it came across in that interview, too. 🙂 I’ll surely keep your sister in my prayers…flooding is no fun. I mean, it’s an adventure, at first, roughing it, but when there’s no food and water becomes scarce, that’s quite enough. I hope you won’t have to make a Red Cross run, but if you do, be safe and well!
I love the Liverpool reindeer! Would like one for my front yard. 🙂 And man, are my bird friends–and squirrels, turkeys, et. al.,–going through the seed and feed…not sure why, since it’s so warm and green, but there you go. You’re right, the bills add up, but I’m not much of a shopper, anyway. 🙂 Gotta spend it on something.
And finally…I am in love with Buddy. Please give him a smooch for me, but not so Sam, Annie, or Curly would feel left out, because I love them, too! (Is Herbie still around?)
Hope all will feel festive for you soon! Wish I could join you for a toast in that raised bed!
The weather seems warmer worldwide this year….it’s downright odd. It’s hard to imagine you not having snow, how weird that must be. Rain is depressing, it’s still raining here and parts of England and Scotland are flooding for the second time….
I would happily lie down with the sheep too….but like you the poop would be an issue!
I’m not much of a shopper either so yes, we have to spend our money on something. The poor birds around here are bedraggled with the excess rain so it’s good to be able to offer a good square meal!
I shall smooth all the canines for you, and yes, I still have my little Herbie hog, he still hasn’t hibernated as it’s far too warm, climate change plays havoc with wildlife doesn’t it?
I shall take your advice and raise a glass re the raised beds….and fill one for you too!
Thanks Kitty, and for your prayers for my sister.xxx
No, I don’t need to tell you that stand alone machines do not fit into fitted cupboards. The frontispieces of the machines are adjusted differently for the purpose. The salesperson was a twit. My brother made a conscious choice to keep his wooden unit door in storage and buy a replacement stand alone washing machine that was the right size for the space, for £100 cheaper than the fitted style. However, what suits is down to personal taste and
aesthetics.
Sorry to hear about all the frustrations and terrible upset with the floods. It has been and is, a really awful experience for those poor people.
You are just so busy, how on earth do you find the time for all the other demands on you. Must say, your camera is getting lots of good use.
You could drop a hint to hubby for a new clean laundry basket; on second thoughts, maybe it would be sequestered too. It is quite an outlay keeping up with bird feeding and all your other animal stores.
Take care and have fun. xxx
I totally agree, the salesman is a twit! The door is still not fitted! I would never bother with integrated units again, when the dishwasher broke we replaced it with a free standing one, I wished we had done that with the washing machine.
It simply awful to see all the flooding happening yet again, in England and Scotland….how utterly depressing it must be. I think it’s rained here for a month now and I’m beginning to wonder how long it will be before we flood too….
I just love my camera, I’d be lost without it now.
Lol….yes, I think the little fella would find any new laundry baskets! Thanks Menhir.xxx
Isn’t it amazing how things do tend to go ‘kaput’ around Christmas time … there you are trying to get organised, and something very bad happens. My washing machine has recently started making a few strange noises … will it last until the New Year sales … I wonder.
Yes Cumbria and surrounding area has been hit very badly with these storms and my heart goes out to all who have been affected. We have family who live that way, and we know it has not been easy – that’s the understatement of the year!
Buddy looks very comfortable, a lovely way to end your post.
Happy Weekend Wishes
All the best Jan
Oh yes! Christmas seems jinxed appliance wise! The heating usually breaks down on bank holidays…I do hope yours lasts a little longer! They certainly don’t come cheap!
Hopefully all is well with your family…..fingers crossed all those hit can get sorted for Christmas. What a time to be flooded. Thanks Jan.xxx
That’s how I would describe the weather here too – it is a filthy night tonight – I certainly won’t be venturing out in it. Its Sod’s Law isn’t is for appliances to give up the ghost near to Christmas – let’s hope you get it sorted soon. Sorry to hear about your sister and the power outage – ours only lasted 20 minutes and I was panicking. You are getting so famous with all these talks you are giving – will I have to curtsey before I leave a comment now! Love the picture of the sheep all cozy in the barn and that picture of Buddy – as if butter wouldn’t melt.
Oh….the weather is dismal isn’t it? It’s not cold yet endlessly dreary with all this endless rain….I can’t remember the last dry day we had.
It is scary when the lights go out without warning isn’t it?It just goes to show how dependant we are on electricity.
Hahahaha….you would be running for the hills if you actually saw one of my interviews, I’m truly awful! Thanks Elaine.xxx
Awww, Buddy is so cute. Good luck with the washing machine door, we had to have a new one earlier this year and we had the same problem. Mick had to get one of the lads at his work who used to be a shopfitter to sort it out. I wrote about it on my Through The keyhole blog:- http://jo-throughthekeyhole.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/washday-blues.html
We’ve recently had to have a new dishwasher too, isn’t it always the case, something going kaput. Anyway, that was much easier to fit. It’s been a day of rain again today, it hasn’t let up all day. My heart goes out to all those people who are having such a terrible time of it, it really is dreadful.
It’s interesting to hear that you had the same problem, why on earth don’t they make these things a universal fit? I had to replace the dishwasher this year too and just got a free standing one. I wouldn’t bother with integrated units again!
I can’t believe that it’s still raining here! Thanks Jo.xxx
Don’t worry if there were cute animals to watch the viewers probably weren’t listening to what you had to say anyway 🙂 sorry I guess that’s no comfort is it?
That is a VERY good point Sue and MOST comforting!xxx
The weather and a duff washing machine are bad enough without Christmas fast approaching as well.
Good to see that you’re making sure that the birds are being well fed. xx
Things always seem to happen in two’s and three’s don’t they? At least I’m making a little progress re Christmas now. The birds here line up when the feeders are empty, guilt drives me to fill them up! Thanks Flighty.xxx
Yeah!!! Rain!!! Rain!!! So I’ve heard and read. Little down here on south coast….
Tempted to say….Never rains but pores…..would fir your appliance going haywire as well.
However, your post is still cheerful….which has much to commend itself and its author…
Hope things settle down soon. Take Care! Hugs! xx
It’s STILL raining here! I’ve forgotten what a dry day looks like. It’s also surprisingly mild. I’m just waiting for the really cold weather to kick in. xxx
If they’re going to go wrong they always seem to pick the most inconvenient time. Good luck with the door.
Thanks Jess. I am still doorless. What is it about holidays and appliances breaking down???xxx
The floods have touched so many aspects of life. It’s natural that you want to help and I hope all stays well for your sister and partner near the flooded area. The rescue centre looks Christmassy. Wishing you well with what I’m sure will be another busy period. Taking Annie to the recording to talk about hedgehog care will give the viewer a sense of reality re. looking after animals! Buddy has found another cosy place! Garden tidying is not so easy when we’ve been having continuous rain. All the best with the washing machine installation and the rest of the Christmas preparations.
Sis has been lucky as the lights have stayed on, fortunately, the floods seem to be subsiding a little! What a good point about taking Annie along, dogs rarely behave for cameras!!! Buddy is the funniest little fellow, he certainly has a big personality!!! It will be quiet around here without him!!! My poor washing machine is still needing a door! Sighs….thanks Linda.xxx
Wet down here in summery NZ. Warm though. English climate has been very changeable in recent centuries. Not thend of the world though. Nice post and images.
Thanks Peter. The climate has certainly changed over the last twenty years.xxx
All that flooding sounds rough. Not to mention your new washing machine. I hope all your other Christmas preparations go more smoothly.
Thanks Jason, I’m beginning to make a little progress re Christmas preparations. Thankfully the flooding seems to be subsiding.xxx