after the deluge

The Lakeland inspects the foam

Oh the rain...the rain! The water is running off the moor bringing all the Autumn debris with it. The pipes and gutters are blocked and the torrents of water race down the roads tossing gravel and leaves aside. The flood waters are frothed up on the moor and then rush by leaving  foamy footmarks. When the rain stops, the temporary torrents slow to a trickle and gravel trails cover the roads. The south west has seen roads blocked, train lines flooded and farm land waterlogged. Yesterday was a respite day before more of the promised rain over night and tomorrow.
Yesterday The Curate and I made good use of the dry window by riding out on the moor. It was sodden from the recent rain but it didn't stop us appreciating the wide open spaces after being cooped up inside for the last few days. I am really enjoying riding Major The Clydesdale, who is wintering at Tor Royal Stables from Adventure Clydesdale. I can't believe that two years ago I knew nothing about Clydesdale horses or riding on Dartmoor.

The Collie inspects the water rushing under the clapper bridge.

After the excitement of interviews and appointments, there is a realisation that we still have quite a few months to wait and The Curate's work does not stop here. The Curate is getting on with his day to day job as the season of carol services and celebrations is fast approaching. Of course, I am in retirement but I haven't found much time to think about my previous life! My mind is mentally moving furniture around the rooms of a house I have only seen once. So on Monday we are returning to see the house with the knowledge that it will be our future home. 

The Curate and I were shown it separately on the interview day and we had no time to discuss it together. It was interesting to see what he had noticed compared to what I remembered. I had walked round the house on the interview day unable to, or wanting to, comprehend that this house could be our next home. I gave it all a cursory glance, not wanting to pre-empt the interview decision. Now we have to decide on paint colours, we have to meet the diocese property people to discuss updates and improvements - all to be finished by February - as this is when we are supposed to move in. My plans for 'retirement' activities may need to be put on hold. (There is also the added distraction of Tess the new pup, who was 3 weeks old yesterday!)

Tess - 3 weeks old

Retreating to Exmoor

 

After a frantic few weeks, The Curate was beginning to show signs of wear and tear! To be fair he was not well and very tired so it was time for me to take action and to find somewhere for some R and R away from the maddening crowd. As The Curate becomes more recognised in the parish, the harder it becomes to stay put and take his day off - especially if he is going to walk the dogs. I lost him last Friday when I went to take the Lakeland home and he walked on with the Collie to collect the newspaper. At the speed the Lakeland walks these days - we should have arrived home at the same time. After half an hour of being home alone, I decided I had better go and find him. He had been in conversation with three different people and, without his Rottweiler wife beside him, he found it difficult to end the conversations to get home to his breakfast. Time to escape! 

So we have just returned from three days in a sweet little Exmoor cottage - with no internet, no phone signal, no central heating ( just being installed), no microwave and no neighbours! The UK was  just recovering from the wettest April in a hundred years and Liscombe on Exmoor had seen the most rainfall of all with 273.8 mm of rain compared with its 86.4 mm average. So I rented us a cottage five miles from this wet spot!! ( As if we don't have enough rain where we live!)  Our adventures started with The Curate's navigation as he decided we should travel the straightest route from our house on Dartmoor to our cottage on Exmoor. On a map this seems possible but in reality it involved lots of small roads with grass growing up the centre and no passing places if you should meet the returning rural school buses (as we did). Eventually we did reach our destination - a little later than we expected.

We had been warned that the ford on one of the roads to the cottage was flowing too fast to cross but fortunately we could take the other road in. Once we had unloaded the car, lit the log burner and put supper in the oven, we took the dogs to look at the river. The ancient foot bridge was still passable but not the road. On returning to the cottage we realised that we had locked ourselves out!! With windows that were sealed shut with paint and a new yale lock on the solid wooden door - there was no way in. The car keys and contact numbers were inside the cottage - and through the tiny kitchen window we could see our supper slowly blackening! Thank goodness for mobile phones and the sensible Curate keeping his in his pocket (unlike me). By walking up out of the valley, he was able to contact the owner who said he would be half an hour - too late for our supper! (We felt like a right pair of plonkers!) But we had plenty of other tasty bits and pieces and it was very easy to settle down to a cosy evening by the log burner. Although we were reminded of the benefits of modem day central heating (- there being none here) whenever we went to use the bathroom. We were very grateful for the thick quilts on the bed and dressed in front of the logburner.

The  walking was great but the evidence of the heavy rain was everywhere. The paths were running with water and resembled streams in places rather than paths. As the area was forested, trees had been blown over and washed down the river or washed up against the bridges causing some of the more fragile structures to wash away. 

Some collies wont be told!

The Curate and I loved living in an old cottage again and the dogs liked having an open fire again. The Curate is looking fitter and I feel refreshed enough to carry on with the last leg of the Curate's curacy.

The Model Curate!!!

Could The Curate be searching for a new career?! Click on the ultimate clergy cape and see if you can spot him!!! 

Running from the spotlight?

It does rain a lot in Devon and The Curate risks getting very wet at any outdoor event. Ever the creative thinker and ex-service man, he decided to research bandsman's capes and found a waterproof cape that was exactly what he needed from this Scottish firm (Scotland can also be a very wet place I'm told). 

...........I'm not sure about the new career - we had to take a lot of photographs to find some that could be used! 

A wet walk on Chocolate box Dartmoor

This is mud ... not chocolate!

We walked near Hexworthy today. There had been an early frost with clear skies but we missed that. By the time we were on the moor, the grey skies had returned and rain was threatening.

Everywhere we look, there are scenes that would be perfect for puzzle boxes...or a chocolate box lid.

The scenery is less bleak here. The thatched cottages are thick walled, ancient and the thatch is dripping with moss. The lichen covered trees lean into the hillside to avoid the winds. The dogs run ahead, sinking into the black, peaty ground. The paths are submerged under water from the recent heavy rains and The Collie runs ahead, then turns back to beckon us on.

The rain return and The Curate quickens his pace - this is wet, cold, winter rain. Time to go home.

A welcome shelter