Water Sports

The storm which began at mid morning yesterday continues to rage until, we are told, midnight today.

This was the view from our French windows 24 hours after we had laid down the furniture. We had left the blue wooden table standing because we thought it heavy enough to withstand the gales. We were wrong. Against the window behind the figure is wedged someone’s dustbin lid. To have reached its resting point it has to have sailed over a fence as if a giant’s Frisbee and slalomed along one or two of our paths.

Feeling as if I had joined Dorothy in the grip of a Kansas tornado, I made a very brief survey of damage. Aaron had firmly fixed the long, now broken, mirror lying on the gravel to the struts on the fence. Beside it flops clematis Campaniflora, also wrenched from its moorings on the arch spanning the path.

Between that fence and the patio stands an ornamental poplar. Its branches are being severely twisted. Out of shot is a hook attached to wire which is used to hold open the wrought iron gate. I clipped it into place to take the second photograph. With a thunder clap the gate slammed shut when the wire was snapped.

Here is a representative sample of crashed pots and a rose ripped from its ties. A final inventory will perforce be featured tomorrow.

This afternoon, to take her mind off the garden destruction – rather more than I photographed earlier – Jackie drove us to Mudeford, where I discovered that what breaks the heart of a gardener encourages pleasure seekers to rush to become blown about and thoroughly wet.

While their adults hunkered down in the car parks, the younger gulls bobbed about like rubber ducks in a wave bath.

Three or four of these unsuspecting youngsters suddenly appeared toting plastic packaging over which they squabbled.

From the quayside I was able to see both kite-surfers and sailboarders in the distance, operating from Avon Beach.

Crabbing was taking place as usual, however I was tempted to walk along to the beach for a nearer view of those engaged in water sports.

A gentleman rested his waking-boot-clad feet while his muzzled husky took a breather.

The powerful winds had been unable to uproot these secure mooring buoys.

Various groups wandered on and off the warm sands.

Skimming sailboarders and spraying surfers sped across stormy seas.

Races ensued;

other paths crossed.

While the winds were ushering me onwards, the walk to the beach had seemed quite a good wheeze. Not so the return during which, like the gulls in the air I laboured to stay still.

This evening we dined on Jackie’s tasty new “prawns and stuff” – “stuff’ being peppers, tomatoes, and garlic; with Tesco’s firm fish pie; her own piquant cauliflower cheese; and crunchy carrots. We both drank Definition Gruner Veltliner 2017.

82 comments

  1. Oh my goodness – that heavy table shows that we just never know what a storm will bring –
    the pictures all say so much and my fav is the man on bench with husky next to him – wow – so interesting a shot

  2. OH, my! 😮 OH, gosh! 🙁 Sorry to see some damage already! Poor Head Gardener! 🙁 Those bad winds and storm was cruel! Hope things can be righted and repaired.

    Storms sure do effect everyone and everything…from the smallest creature to the biggest buildings and trees, etc. 🙁

    Your bird captures are spectacular! As are you wave photos! Beautiful, Derrick! 🙂

    I hope in your next post you can say that things calmed down! I do NOT want to see photos of The Tin Man, The Cowardly Lion, The Scarecrow, The Wizard, or flying monkeys! Or hear that you are dining in Oz! 😮 😛

    Be safe! HUGS!!! 🙂

  3. I’m so sorry to see the damage done to your beautiful garden, Derrick. I have no doubt that you and Jackie will restore it back to all of its glory. Fantastic ocean shots!

  4. Wild weather indeed! I don’t know why these storms wait until the garden has reached perfection and then destroy so much! I can well imagine our beloved head gardener is heart broken. Still, I’m glad that rubbish bin lid came safely to rest and didn’t fly through the window! Clearing up will keep you two busy for the next few days – I hope to hear little Nugget is safe too. And of course I’m immensely curious about the ‘wouldn’t have been kind’ comment on the resting walker’s wife omission …… 😀

  5. Excellent action shots of both humans and birds. I am sorry to see the damage in your garden. It must be quite dispiriting to see hard work blown away.

  6. Do you often have storms in August? This year we’re having strange weather in the Pacific Northwest. August is usually our hottest, driest month. This year it’s decidedly mild, even some rain.

    You did well to go to Modeford, where the waves crashed and the gulls and sailboarders frolicked. I hope the garden cleanup won’t be too difficult.

    1. Thanks very much, Nicki, especially for your kid comments. We don’t normally have these storms in August – even those that come later are not so severe.

    2. It’s validating to hear someone else mention the weather this year in the PacNW. Too dry and warm in April-June, now all this rain when it’s supposed to be dry. So odd.

  7. Very nice alliteration with the sailboarders and with the winds, D! 😉

    So sorry for Jackie and you over the garden, and a broken mirror to boot – that can’t be good. 🙁

    With the winds and the seas (and the outfits people are wearing) it seems more like a Winter over here in ‘Oz’ ! 😉

    Hoping little Nugget did not get blown away and returns to supervise the garden reconstruction soon! 🙂

  8. Quite a storm you had!! The wind can be so powerful. That’s a problem trying to get across to people here who have never gone through a hurricane.

  9. I’m so sorry about the wind damage to your garden, but I’m glad there was no terrible damage to your house. I’m happy to hear Nugget is okay. Those shots of the gulls are wonderful–though not that they’re perhaps eating plastic.
    I enjoyed photo and caption of the man and his dog. 🙂

  10. I’ve heard quite a few people had their gardens damaged. We were quite lucky here in Mid Wales and didn’t suffer too badly.

    Loving the windsurfer shots!

  11. So sorry to see your beautiful garden sustain so much storm damage, Derrick! The Head Gardener has her work cut out for her, it seems. Your dynamic photos of sailboarding, though, make me want to get back into the waves.

  12. I’m sorry you had a mess to clean up, but glad most of the life there is safe and well. Life has so much beauty, and still, the messes, like that amazing detailed in the shot of the birds fighting over a piece of plastic.

  13. Good heavens it did turn out to be serious. I am so glad you had the chance to take precautions. How is your knee recovery and your stamina? Because if you’re in any kind of decent shape, I imagine you’ll be put to work, ha ha!

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