Rain!

Well, what other title would be appropriate for this post?! After months and months of abnormal rainfall, or rather, of no significant rainfall, we are currently experiencing a bit of a notable event. We have had some rain! Over 80mm of it this month, it appears. That is more than the total for the past five years for April.*

Rain in April is to be expected, is it not? After all we frequently pass comments referring to April showers but that simply hasn't happened for the past few years. Even the rest of the months have fallen short with their totals. I had blogged on several occasions that the East Anglian landscape was starting to resemble a desert, with cracks appearing in the ground that were wide enough to put a hand in... until now. For the past week or so, we have had rain like we haven't seen since, well? It has been the main talking point pretty much everywhere and to boot, as we all know, a drought was officially announced at the beginning of April! However, we mustn't make light of the fact that we are still in a rainfall deficit and the reservoirs still have some way to go to be back to normal. We could be fooled into thinking though that the overflowing gulleys and streams now mean we can disregard the drought?

I have to admit, it was a concept that crossed my mind as I slipped and slid down a muddy track this afternoon, on my way to revisit a location I first posted about back last July.


Then, water was notable by its absence. Today, I couldn't stand in the same spot for fear of being washed away. I have to say, having been dry there for well over 12 months, I was very pleased to see the water flowing again at this significant spot.

I had been wanting to get back to photograph at this location for a long while and so today, as the sun dared to venture out mid afternoon, so did I. Suitably wellied, me mutt and camera took to the bridleway where a sign warned me...









With mutt keenly leading the way, she carefully negotiated her way around the puddles forgetting me following along apace, and forced through the puddles. That was all well and good until we hit a track-wide muddy 'pond'.

She daintily dabbled her way through whilst I tried carefully to negotiate a safe passage - or so I thought! For one heart-stopping moment - my leg, boot-deep in muddy water (a Dr Foster moment if ever there was one) foot slipping from under me, lead straining in one hand, camera strap clenched in the other - I thought that was it. But for once something was on my side and my other foot made contact with a safe area, the impact splash showering me, mutt and camera with a 'nearly had you' spray.

That was close enough and photographers will always look after no.1!
I will get wet if I have to but noo, noo, noo, not the camera!


*Taken from unverified data