About Me

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Worcester, Worcestershire, United Kingdom
Born in the year of the Coronation, I'm a Baby Boomer. In April of this year I decided I too would have a Diamond Jubilee celebration and completely change my life and that of my Husband's in the process

Tuesday 3 July 2007

Merlins May Be Magical..but they're not Big and they're not Clever!!!

OK!…….So what’s with the weather? I really have had enough. The garden has become so over grown it’s almost met in the middle. The brook has been up and down like a whore’s drawers and there hasn’t been a whiff of a barbeque for weeks.

Two weeks ago, our neighbour knocked at the door and said, had we seen the clouds? We looked out and saw a bizarre circular formation above our houses.

0705200002

By half past eight, it looked like this 0705200005 and then the heavens opened.

I had a disturbed night as the rain was so heavy most of the night. I got up at 6.30am and looked out of the office window and could see there was a little bit of water in next door’s garden, from the brook. I assumed it had spilled over a little in the night and was going back down now. I mentioned it to Mike and went off to the bathroom. A couple of minutes later, he came running back in and said we had to move the chickens as the water was coming up, FAST!

The annoying thing was, it was now quite sunny but the water was rushing up the garden at an unstoppable force. So, dressed in our dressing gowns and old shoes, we had to go and rescue the hen house complete with occupants, which was now half submerged. Wading up to our knees, we had to get them over a narrow bridge, usually this is done with an empty coop and we are able to invert it so the narrow top passes easily through the handrails. This time it was complete with occupants and so had to be lifted clear of the handrails. Not easy and slipping about on wet wood didn’t help.

On the way, I noticed our cat, Merlin, was sat on the bench by the pond. The bench was now encircled by water and I wondered why the stupid cat had gone through the water to get there. When we finished with the hen house I realised that Merlin might still be on the bench. I waded back down to look. By now there was a very distressed cat who was just about to be submerged by water. It then occurred to me. Every morning he goes to sit on this bench. It must have been dry when he sat there but the water came in too quickly for him to escape. It was a good job I’d seen him, the bench was totally submerged soon after I saved him.

This was taken from my office, Merlin sitting on top of the hen house after his escapade. He's still wearing a shocked look! 0705210018 The brook. 0705210011 Can anyone recommend some good plants for a heavy, moist soil? 0705210010

The brook went back down but a few days later we had another night of torrential rain. This time it came up in the middle of the afternoon. I was in the office and a neighbour came round to alert us. The chickens were still on the high ground, so perfectly safe and all the cats were in. Then I noticed next door’s Cairn Terrier, Merlin was standing in the middle of the flood and appeared to be stuck. At first I couldn’t understand why and called him to encourage him to move. I realised he was trapped on a raised bed and the water was rising up to his little fat tummy. cropped His owners were out and so, yet again, I had to go wading through the water to rescue another Merlin.

The floods have subsided now but the weather hasn’t improved much.

No trampolining today! 0705210017

Catherine and Isabella have arrived from Germany and we are trying to find them somewhere to live and a car for Catherine. They have been here a week and I can honestly say, I’ve barely had a moment to myself in that time, so apologies if I haven’t read your latest entries yet, I will get there, I promise.

Here is a short clip filmed this morning, I was feeling arty, so went for the watercolour effect.It’s a lovely mother and daughter moment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYcfMBQIATo

Isabella asleep. 0705310004

 

A very special thank you gift for me, from Catherine & Flo, some David Austen Roses. 0705310008

 

 

And thank you for the all the lovely comments on my last entry.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Linda... that video was sooooo adorable.  Those baby laughs like that... nothing warms your heart quite the same... I remember mine doing the same.  

I am so sorry about all the flooding!!!!  Yikes!!!  Enough rain already, please Mother Nature!  My Brit friends need a rest!  It is too bad the Merlins can't do any magic!!!  

be well,
Dawn

Anonymous said...

Linda I just loved the video clip, there's nothing so natural as a baby's laugh is there?!  Our new little grandson is due in five weeks and I'm getting sooo impatient!
As for the floods, what can I say that hasn't been said before, we're lucky in that we're just a bit too high for flooding (she says!) but our garden, like yours, has suffered from the rain badly.  We had a thunderstorm early last night and the most gigantic hailstones, it looked like everywhere was covered in snow - in July!!  Enjoy your time with your daughter and her family! ~~~ Pat  http://journals.aol.co.uk/pm71blackfen/ramblings-from-pat/

Anonymous said...

OMG Linda, I wish we'd had a video clipping of you rescuing the chickens and the Merlin pussy cat.  Its unbelievable how much water you have in your garden.  I hope its not too bad when it dries out.  We have escaped that here in Hertfordshire, thank goodness.  I am glad you have your girls home, that was a wonderful video of them playing together, ahhh.  Hugs, Terry x

Anonymous said...

I sympathise with you about the weather, luckily we don't get flooded but boy is the garden soggy. Lovely vid.
Debbie
xxx

Anonymous said...

Aha, so you have been floating around the back garden, now I understand why youve not been here for a while!Im glad the animals were rescued, hey you should get a cape and wear your underpants oner your tights.Whats that in the sky, is it a bird? a plane?NO!its ROWLEY WOMAN!! Beckiexx

Anonymous said...

Iwondered what had happened to you ,so pleased you are safe although partialy submerged ,well done on your rescues ,Isabella is Beautiful ,so are your flowers ,so sorry you are not able to jump about on your trampoline ! ..love Jan xx

Anonymous said...

I loved the Video ~ I laughed at her infectious laugh ~ and the picture of her asleep is lovely ~ Merlin does look shocked :o) ~ and I felt so sorry for Merlin the dog he looked lost standing in the water glad you rescued him as well ~ hope that rain water subsides and we don't get any more heavy downpours ~ Ally x

Anonymous said...

although it must have been awful at the time, I had to smile at the mental picture of you carrying indignant chickens over the bridge.
You were quite the animal hero, werent you?
I enjoyed reading your journal
Marti
http://journals.aol.com/sunnyside46/MidlifeMusings

Anonymous said...

Damn! You said you were sick of mucking through the wet and mud but I didn't know it was THAT bad! Poor thing!
You KNOW I loved the chicken/cat/dog rescue stories. They get that unmistakable, perturbed look don't they? Poor babies.

Poor Linda!

xoxo

Anonymous said...

I thought you would have water problems as it was bad when Liz and I went to stay in Bewdley with friends a few weekends ago. You poor thing. I am glad you managed to rescue the animals! Love Conniex

Anonymous said...

I actually have very fond memories of the floods in Worcester.
http://journals.aol.co.uk/acoward15/andy-the-bastard

Anonymous said...

Gosh Linda, what have you been up to, I'm glad everyone was ok

Anonymous said...

i haven't been getting your alerts grrrr dumb aol. so wow you have had lots of water and we here have none  lol hope you are having a good week

Deb

Anonymous said...

Hi Linda..OMG...poor you , I was saddened to see your lovely garden under water..In the pic with Merlin....was that a dead carp in the background on the side.?Thank goodness you saved Merlin. we are higher above but the mountain stream runs into the kitchen, and we spent hours soaking it up. Like me, your animals come first, although it is a scarey time for them...
Isabella sleeps through it , and will never remember. She is soo cute.Soon sunny days will come, be assured, but glad you are all safe.
love
Rach.xxxxxxxxxx

Anonymous said...

Hi Linda

thanks for calling by ... house is just outside Hay on Wye so not too far ... no where near ready tho !! The best quote I can give you for a new kitchen .... "Dont use me " lol ....... Saying that Rocky is good in the kitchen ...lol
regards
Shaun
http://journals.aol.co.uk/shauntanner/Tenthirteengoesforth/

Anonymous said...

Oh my goodness!  What a mess you had!  I was shocked by those pictures and much relieved to know that the water didn't get into your house!  The weather sure is crazy these days.  So much for the great British summer.  I read "chickens" so am presuming that you must have gotten another rescued battery hen.  I haven't seen any entries in The Great Escape since your dear old hen died.  Isabella and her mum are just beautiful!  Precious too!

Love,
Susie

Anonymous said...

Wow, that's a lot of water..lol! Great pics hun...hope all's well now!

Lv Stevie
xx

Anonymous said...

Mmm I see what you mean about your garden, at least you can console yourself knowing that you wont be worried by a hosepipe ban.
Andy
http://journals.aol.co.uk/andrewfrnd/life

Anonymous said...

I always thought a water feature in your garden just meant that you had a pond or a fountain or something like that......