Overnight winds had been powerful enough to blow this planted up stone urn off its pedestal.
Early this morning Jackie drove me to our G.P. surgery at Milford on Sea to order a repeat prescription.
We were not surprised to learn on BBC News that, at 79 m.p.h., the strongest gusts in Britain had rushed through The Needles which still seemed borne on a bed of spray as we passed them. Our home is in a direct line from these rocks, and always shares their buffeting.
The foaming waves of the Solent rolled rapidly towards our coastline, flinging ragged curtains of ocean droplets skyward. A motorboat speeding across the surface, despite its rapid rate, seemed to be bobbing up and down as it appeared to be engulfed.
Gulls reflected in pools in the car parks.
Masts at the Yacht Club stood against the sky at Keyhaven, where a group of walkers of the third age passed a younger woman with a dog.
We continued along the coast road towards Hurst Spit on and around which walkers strode beneath a fretwork of cotton clouds and streaking jet trails.
As we approached the bridge over the stream we became aware of a frenzied, shrieking, squabble of seagulls. What, we wondered, had provoked this activity?
A gentleman carefully placing muzzles on his pair of Dalmatians had spotted the answer.
He wasn’t prepared to risk a conflict between his dogs and the swans being fed from the bridge.
A string of Brent geese had found their own food in a field opposite.
Outside Solent Grange a store of stone sculptures awaited installation on the so pretentious walls.
This evening we dined on Jackie’s comforting cottage pie; crunchy carrots of virus hues; tender runner beans and cabbage.
Derrick, Glad that despite the high winds thsnkfully you did ‘t seem to have any major damage at your home!
That’s right, Gary. Thanks very much
The high wind produced some fabulous sea spray shots. I’m glad you didn’t have more damage to your property. It looks like the urn was just toppled, but not broken?
That’s right, Merril. It remains intact, but we are due more heavy wind tonight, so we have left it where it is. Many thanks.
Great shots of the sea and various goings on post storm Derrick. Glad to hear no more damage was done to the garden than a toppled urn.
Thanks very much, Pauline
Unrest indeed, with weather and sea and seagulls and swans and 101 Dalmatians (not quite)!
Thanks a lot, Leslie
Your shots of the sea are magnificent, Derrick. I’m happy you didn’t sustain much damage. Glad the toads are still upright!
Thanks very much, Jill
The pair of Dalmatians seems to have taken a cue from the raging winds. Being in alignment with Needles has apparent impact on your garden. You have narrated as pictorially as your camera.
Many thanks, Uma
That’s some wind! Great pictures in spite of them.
Thanks very much, Leslie
Those sculptures do look rather pretentious, I agree. I hope that the wind drops a bit though the forecast seems a bit alarming.
Thanks a lot, Tootlepedal
That was a strong wind, glad everything is fine. wonderful pictures.<3
Thanks very much, Laleh
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Beautiful views of the Solent, Derrick.
You did get some high winds to knock that stone urn over!
Thanks very much, Lavinia
amazing faces of natural life!!!
Thanks very much, Gud-Sol
Those lions are surely destined for a stately home.
Is that your recycling that you keep in the overturned urn?
You would think so, wouldn’t you, Andrew? In fact they are for a caravan park. The urn contains a pelargonium with a protective covering. Thanks very much
Beautiful photos of the winds in the water. That looks like a sturdy urn. It took a strong wind to blow it over. Glad there was no other damage.
Thanks very much, Cheryl
That wind and the ocean! I’m with Cheryl. Glad there was no other damage.
Many thanks, Laurie
From your header photo i was thinking what a nice day it turned out to be? Then i heard of the gale force winds. That’s as high as anything we’ve had here! ( if you don’t count tornadoes – small-ish ones but able to rip rooves off houses and rip down double-brick walls). Hope the pelargonium survives!
I love the shot of the gull taking off leaving droplets in his wake! 🙂
Must be nice having a chauffeur to drive you to your photo-shoot locations?? 😉
Thank Jackie for me! 🙂
Many thanks, Bob. It was actually a nice day after all. I will pass on the thanks.
Your photographs of the crashing waves are magnificent. You really are having high winds aren’t you. We are having what is described as a fresh breeze which makes me wonder about the forecasters, given that I could hardly stay upright earlier!
82 m.p.h. through The Needles today. Thanks very much, Sue
Those gusty winds are scary… I had a client who had not one, but TWO large Sequoias blow down on him and his neighbor last summer. Luckily, only his fence and garage roof was damaged. Bad enough, but it could have been so much worse. Glad you got away with only an urn toppling over. I hope it didn’t break!
That was quite a fall. The urn is intact. Thanks very much, Anna
Very good to hear!
Beautiful photos all of them Derrick, they sure helped us feel how windy it had been or still was, refreshing, but glad your place was not damaged. We are having heavy winds here the last 24 hrs too.
Thanks very much, Agnes
That strong wind is so scary and can be so damaging! 😮 🙁
Glad you all are safe!
I hope the urn didn’t crack. ???
Love the birds, birds in flight, and the cute doggies!
(((HUGS))) 🙂
Thanks very much, Carolyn. The urn was left intact. Winds much fiercer at the moment. X
I think that constitutes, ‘wild and woolly weather’ … the swans would’ve won … more statuary? Where are they going to put these I wonder? In the toilets perhaps? 😀
A good question, Widders. In fact we looked up the website once more. That statuary seems to have been removed from the walls and longer term residents are complaining that new owners have ruined the site. Many thanks