Saltgrass Lane

After an early trip to Sears Barbers for my haircut we continued into the forest, now even damper after another twenty four hours of incessant rain still falling at the start of our drive.

Gulls played in the rippling pools on the surface of a car park with views of

waves through the eroded cliff top and the misty Isle of Wight and The Needles and its lighthouse.

Before we moved on Jackie photographed salty spray soaring over the sea wall. Her last image was produced immediately after the penultimate one, this time obscuring the distant view of the island.

Knowing that Saltgrass Lane at Keyhaven is prone to flooding at high tide and consequently closed at the best of times we decided to visit that narrow road running alongside the shore line. In the event we could not pass through Keyhaven Road,

which was well flooded.

While I photographed this scene Jackie produced images of me doing so, of a woman wading through the pools leading her dog behind her,

and of the van pictured last in my gallery splashing swirling rainwater.

A friendly local resident told us that this was the fourth time her environment had been flooded in a month, and that we could probably reach our goal from along New Lane.

The narrow, potholed, New Lane was not flooded, but was full of birders with cameras on tripods and their vehicles parked on such verges as there were, or exercising multiple-point turns in order to leave. They must have been alerted to a special visitor.

Saltgrass Lane was indeed flooded.

Back at home, rain fell all afternoon.

This evening Ian joined us for an even more enjoyable than ever meal at Lal Quilla, during which Ellie was her most beguiling. Friendly and attentive staff, excellent food, and efficient service is all one could ask for. My main course was prawn pathia with mushroom rice; other favourites were also enjoyed, and we shared onion bahjis, egg paratha, peshwari naan, and various rices. Kingfisher, white wine, J20, and Diet Coke were imbibed.

63 comments

  1. That is some serious flooding over the roads there Derrick. I am glad you all had a wonderful dinner out at the end of it. Sounds like a good night out after a day of heavy rain.

    Reply

    1. No. We tried, but that would have involved debarking where there was nowhere to park. Thanks very much, Tootlepedal

      Reply

  6. Goodness me, you’ve had some wetness down there Derrick. What’s happening to the land of my fathers! Love the atmospheric shot of the Needles. Well, they’re all pretty fab, to be fair 🙂

    Reply

  9. Whoa! Thought you had visited the beach at first glance! Stay safe!
    Rain and flood has been bad here in the US too… Power got knocked out by storm for hundreds including mine for a few days this week. Brrr!!!

    Reply

  11. Well done Jackie for catching the spray of water when you did – very impressive! I take my hat off too to the dog walkers who follow routine despite the flooding.

    Reply

  13. Wow! That is a lot of rain! Fabulous photographs of the floods, you both captured the day so well.
    We had snow yesterday (Wednesday), it fell heavily throughout the day. Today (Thursday) almost all has melted creating a mini river running around the house.

    Reply

  16. My goodness me, that all looks quite threatening. But great photos and as is becoming quite common Jackie’s camera work is very pleasing. But I do love one of you lines with its rather tautological flavour: – “Her last image was produced immediately after the penultimate one.”

    Reply

    1. Indeed. Thanks very much, Laurie. We have often passed through there but never before seen it like that

      Reply

    1. We wondered ourselves, but couldn’t really get out of the car to find out. Thanks very much, Sherry

      Reply

  22. Wow, you are getting the same flooding that our west coast is getting. It’s ridiculous! I’m in Florida for a few days where its been in the 80s and sunny.

    Reply

  23. Probably a good thing that dog was on a leash. 🙂
    We could do with some of that sort of deluge over here. I fear it’s going to be a long hot dry summer.

    Reply

Leave a Reply