It was raining before St Swithin’s Day, we can’t blame him

I could easily have been annoyed.  I did lose a bit of patience.

But let’s start from ten past five, when Rupert woke me up.  Why, I have no idea, as his owners assure me he gets up at least as late (when possible) as they do.  I’ve seen pictures of him on Facebook, fast asleep in bed at 9 o’clock.  Today, he wanted to get up early.  So I took him downstairs, of course – it was possible he needed to go out – and let both dogs out of the back door.  I make tea and toast – buttered, darling, I felt in need of great indulgence – let the dogs in and went back up with Roo.  Frankly, I wish I’d just sloped upstairs and left them to their own devices, because Rupert wasn’t keep to go back to sleep.

IMG_3257
As you can see.  This was 5.23 am.  However, i took no notice of him, callous brute, and managed to catch a little more sleep in the end.

Today, it rained.  In fact, it was quite odd.  I was slumped in the porch, having fed the chickens and dogs and tidied up, and having no energy yet, when i heard it start to rain hard.  I looked outside and it wasn’t raining … not for several seconds.  I’d heard the rain falling out of the clouds and through the sky, well before it hit the ground.  This may be well known, but I’d not noticed it before and was duly amazed.

Before long, it was bucketing down hard enough for me to hurry for the pans, just in time to catch the water pouring into the passageway.  We’d run out of time to mend the gully.  Unfortunately, some water still comes through by the study window (that’ll be cured tomorrow, I hope), but I’d left the trays in place there anyway.  All the same, I got a bit miffed for a few minutes.

But then Dilly arrived with her three, then Weeza with her two.  And we had a lovely day.  Dilly was going to Norwich to see her sister, but Weeza stayed.  When I was preparing lunch, with help – one child grating and one child chopping cheese, two cutting up cucumber and one slicing red pepper – and I was making a cheese sauce for pasta and cooking sausages, I observed that I was completely relaxed, although four young children behind me were wielding knives and the fifth was using a grater.  So I’m evidently not too agitated after all.  Not yet.  But if we get much more of these violent rainstorms, I may not be responsible for my actions.

6 comments on “It was raining before St Swithin’s Day, we can’t blame him

  1. 63mago

    What a lovely brute !
    It may sound stupid, but why should you be un-relaxed when the kids are doing their part in the kitchen ? I think it is a good thing that they learn to use knives and other tools, this will protect their fingers in the long run better than too much caution. In the end it’s a matter of trust. And the more they are trusted with something, the more their abilities will develop. At least I think so and want to believe that it worked when I was responsible for a child. Who is a young man now. In the end its encouraging. Within limits of course, pasta sauce is the first step, Sahnesauce will follow.
    I think it is a very satisfying experience to see them grow, learn, develop.

    I have to confess that I have no idea how it sounds what you describe – when the clouds open. I know the sound of rain hitting the ground, or different sort of grounds, like foliage or a parking lot ; the different intensities of the drops, their size ; the rush of a grey wall of rain, or the silent ticking of fine “Landregen” on a meadow. But I have never heared the clouds.

    Reply
  2. Liz

    It rained heavily here for most of the morning but in the afternoon it went from torrential rain to brilliant sunshine very suddenly, like someone turning the tap off. Weather can be interesting sometimes.

    Reply
  3. Mike Horner

    I love the sound of your kitchen with five children all busy chopping and slicing and grating to help prepare lunch. That’s as it should be, and is here most boxing days, with Granny in charge, and me busy opening bottles and getting out cutlery so some tiny can help lay the table (not that there are tinies at the mo – the youngest is fourteen and taller than me – still, with the advent of a Great Grandchild, in a year or so that Boxing Day scene should soon be repeated).
    P.s. -And everyone in the kitchen all busy swapping family gossip.

    Reply
  4. Scarlet

    We might have storms this weekend in the west… I’m not sure if the east is also going to get it… but keep the buckets out just in case!
    I know Rupert is an early bird, but he is cute!
    Sx

    Reply
  5. Z Post author

    I always had my own children help, but it’s much more peaceful on one’s own! And I had my back to small children with sharp knives – still, all was fine and they were lovely, and they laid the table too and ate their lunch.

    I hope the roof is finally watertight. If we get Bertha here, I trust that she will stay outside where she belongs.

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Liz Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

 

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.