Monday 10th February 2020 - Outdoor Spring Cleaning and Storm Ciara

I have quite a number of pots and trays in the greenhouse; most are overwintering plants whilst the trays contain onions and lettuce seedlings. On Saturday morning they all came out so I could clean the greenhouse, prior to fumigating. As I moved the pots and trays onto the lawn, I counted them – sixty five in total. Now that’s a lot of going back and forth but I was able to carry the smaller ones, two at a time. Using a broom and a bucket of soapy water, I cleaned the glass and frame inside and out as well as the staging, finally rinsing with the hose. By late morning the greenhouse was dry enough to put everything back, and just before dusk I lit an eco-friendly fumigator which smelled strongly of garlic and soon filled the interior with smoke.

After making its way across the country, Storm Ciara was due to arrive here on Sunday morning. Whenever high overland winds are forecast, we see ships at anchor off the coast with the cliffs providing some protection. Apart from the usual two to three support ships, which are visible most days, on Saturday there was just one an additional vessel, Maersk Lifter, but by Saturday morning there were more, all staying until this morning. The village was soon being buffeted by feisty gusts, followed by heavy showers but it was not until the afternoon that things really picked up and we decided it would be foolhardy to take Barney out for a walk. The crescendo came about half three, with thunder, lightning, rain and hail. Our back lawn flooded and the cover over Peter’s potatoes lifted higher and higher until one side detached and we thought if it carried, it would come off completely and join the storm as it journeyed towards the Dutch coast. As it was, there was a calming and we were able to safely retrieve the cover. As for the rest of the village, today we have seen broken roof tiles and fencing, a wall and gate blow down and plenty of branches littering the paths. Our plants have fared well and the primroses, which seed freely in our garden, are looking bright and cheery. Today has still been windy with sleet showers this afternoon, but not as wild as yesterday afternoon. With the winds set to continue until Thursday, we won’t be straying far over the next few days.