Spring 2013

[Stanley]

Nice morning. Brisk but warmer west wind, light overcast but the flags are dry. Glass has fallen slightly to 29" and I think it's still falling. Could be some rain? Main thing it is almost 20C warmer than it was this timer last week! The daffs on the green are opening and the birds are very active. Spring may be under way!

[Cathy]

It's really getting into Autumn for us in Australia, fallen leaves everywhere, some roses and other flowers still in bloom. Weather wise it's a case of socks on / socks off, cardi on / cardi off and thinking 'Do I take the umbrella?'

[Stanley]

Pleasant but mostly overcast day in Barlick. The wind was blustery but warm. Warm outside this morning and the flags are dry so far! Glass has risen slightly to 29.2" so that's hopeful. The Met forecast is good for the next four days. Could be a frost next Friday night.

[hartley353]

Small conifer outside my front window is alive with Bluetits, and joy of joy Sparrows, this is usualy a sign that the insects that over wintered in it are rousing themselves. This and the leave buds that have left the starting blocks suggests Spring may have sprung.

[Stanley]

Another warm day with a brisk westerly wind. More wind forecast today and tomorrow and some rain. Glass has fallen but not much to just above 29". Not hard weather.
The Daffodils are in bloom on the Green amd the grass is moving, there's a green flush even on the patches that were burned brown last week by the frost.

[Stanley]

I wouldn't like to be a fisherman in the Irish Sea this morning, force 10 gales forecast. We shall be getting the tail end of them later. Dry outside at the moment and the glass has risen (surprisingly) to almost 29.4". It doesn't feel as though there is a lot of rain about. We shall just have to wait and see. No cobwebs on Wendy today!
07:15. We've had our walk. Overcast but no wind yet. Things could be worse!

[Wendyf]

I lost all my cobwebs yesterday with winds up to 35mph, but it was also warm and sunny! Raining this morning with an easterly breeze again. I'll be battening down the hatches later.

[Sue]

Beautiful day today in Brittany. 20plus degrees forecast. Going out for lunch after a few gardening jobs. Bob is still trying to seal the taps to the new, completed shower

[Stanley]

Heavy rain this morning, big wind promised. Glass down to 28.9". Only good thing is that the rain is warm and much needed and the system is moving fast so it won't be with us for long. Grand Daughter Laura thinks it's cold after WA! I told her that last week it was 20C colder, I don't think she quite understands that!
08:00. Back from a short walk on the green in a gale of wind and heavy driving rain. They say it'll brighten up by dinnertime, if it does we'll have our Valley Garden walk then but at the moment it's lousy out there....

[Wendyf]

We have been kept awake half the night with the sound of the wind roaring round the house. Gusts of just under 50mph recorded this morning but it has eased a bit for the moment. I don't like it much...

[Sue]

Another beautiful day here. It hit 28C yesterday in the middle of the afternoon. Not quite that warm today but doing some spring cleaning washing whilst I have the chance

[Stanley]

I don't like wind either Wendy, it disorients me. It's stopped raining now and the sun is breaking through gaps in the cloud but the wind is still with us.

[Wendyf]

I'm not a big fan of poetry but Ian McMillan mentioned this Ted Hughes poem on a TV programme recently so I looked it up. Sums up the experience of high winds around a house on the hills.

Wind - Ted Hughes

[Stanley]

There were some slates blown off even down here in the shelter of the town. Shipping forecast is a lot quieter this morning and it's quite calm and dry outside. Glass is shooting up and is over 29.5" so while it might be a bit cooler, it will probably be bright weather.
09:00. Pleasant walk down to the butcher’s but on the way back the sky became very dark and we have just had a light shower.

[Wendyf]

Set out for a walk down the clough at 1.30pm suitably dressed in waterproofs, woolly hat & gloves, but had to strip off the layers as we went, returning home just over an hour and a half later in glorious warm sunshine. Another lovely day forecast for tomorrow, but I'll be doing the drive to Leeds & back to take Mum out shopping.

[Stanley]

Dry and calm and a slight frost this morning but it promises to be a good day. Glass is rising strongly and is at 30". Grass is definitely moving on the Green and none of the Daffodils that were exposed to the full force of the East wind have bloomed. The ones under the wall that were sheltered have all recovered and are in full bloom. Just shows what a killer that wind was.

[David Whipp]

The daffs newly planted on the 'squiggles' in front of Holy Trinity, which is quite exposed, have done well. These are the same variety as next to the walls. The particular variety may affect how well they've coped with the wind as well as the degree of shelter?

[Marilyn]

Beautiful day here...grey, overcast and it RAINED for about five hours!
Haven't seen rain for so many months that we just had to get out there and have a walk in it.
( real rain...wet stuff...puddles...hee hee...we don't know ourselves)

[Stanley]

I know how nice rain feels when you haven't seen any for a long time. I once arrived back at Leeds station after a long trip to California and there was a mild drizzle. I walked out from under the canopy and stood in it with my face turned up and a porter commented that I mustn't have seen rain for a while. I asked him how he knew and he said "Three years in the Western Desert!"
Dry, cool and calm here this morning. Glass has fallen to 29.6". Overcast day with light showers?
David, could be variety. However sometimes a spot can be sheltered from a certain wind direction even when it looks as though it's exposed. Glad they have survived.....
Light much earlier in the morning now. I was out with Jack at 06:30. Bit more breeze and a sharp morning but clear skies and a pleasant walk.

[Stanley]

These lighter mornings are splendid. Jack and I have had our walk. There could have been a very light frost but it's pleasant now, bit of a cool breeze and light overcast but dry and could be a lot worse. Glass is back to 29.4" and the forecast is for increasing cloud and perhaps light rain. The Farming forecast on Countrywide yesterday predicts a warmer spell in the middle of the week but getting cooler and wetter as the front which gives us the warm air sinks south and leaves us in the colder air behind it. Could be a lot cooler by the end of the week with some snow on the hills. Winter has not quite lost its grip yet!

[Stanley]

Bracing day yesterday and it feels the same today. We had some very light rain after noon but nothing serious. Glass is moving up towards 29.5". The warm spell coming in? My GD Laura is complaining bitterly about the cold! I pointed out to her that we are on the same latitude as Labrador and they are still having hard frosts.
07:30. We have had another bracing walk under overcast skies, rain looks more likely today up to now. Three things caught my attention: First slug trail of the year on the backyard flags. The grass was cut in Valley Gardens yesterday, the first time this year. I found a pair of crutches lay on the road in the back entry behind Nutters. I put them on one of the raised beds in the Town Square, at least they won't get run over and damaged there. How does someone lose two crutches?

[Cathy]

How does someone lose two crutches? I imagine the same way that you often see a jumper left on a random bush, a single shoe or sock, or even a pair of sneakers hanging from the power lines. Goodness knows!

[hartley353]

Maybe Jesus has returned and done some poor soul a miracle.

[Stanley]

They were still laid on the wall in the square at 11:00 yesterday. Coll dry morning. Glass rising slowly, just over 29.5" at the moment. Doesn't feel summery but than again, it could be a lot worse!
08:00. We've had our walk and it's a dull morning with a feel of rain in the air. It looks as though we missed the forecast warmer spell completely as the forecast is for the South to cool down as well. I shall shave my head and do the Sun Dance this morning. It usually takes about five days to take effect.

[Cathy]

Here's some Sun to keep you all going