I don't believe it.-.Rain!

Early this morning about a mile out of the village boundary, we encountered a really heavy storm, with the lanes flooded. (rural area so no drains and the water comes off the fields and floods the road). A few miles further on it had been and gone, then a few miles after that and all the way to Norwich the rain was so heavy that it was almost like night, and the windscreen wipers on full pelt could not cope with it.

Flash flooding on the roads too. Pat dropped me near the entrance to the department I needed and I got soaked just walking the few yards!

We didn’t mind though, as we were so grateful that at last our gardens and allotment would be watered.

The rain hammered down all the time I was in that department (well over an hour) and was still raining hard when I went to the next – then to a lesser extent on the way home.

When we got to the village we could not believe our eyes – not a single drop had fallen. The lanes were dry and dusty, the sun was shining, perhaps it had dried the rain up? We had to go past the part of the village where the allotments are, so we stopped off to collect the eggs THREE UNTOUCHED AND ALL BROWN, and not a drop of rain had fallen there. I can always tell even if it is a smidgeon as I have some rubber tracks that the previous tenant had left down the bottom amongst the weeds and I have used them as paths between the three raised beds. They were bone dry. We couldn’t believe it!

I was so pleased with the chickens that I gave them a whole lettuce and some spinach to eat.

I could not resist picking our first courgettes this year – a new variety that I decided to try out.

If I hadn’t had been so hungry I would have taken a photo of the ratatouille I made with them. It was so colourful. I cut up the courgettes into chunks, added some of my red onions, and a couple of my shallots, added large red tomatoes (organic but not mine yet), and big roasted red peppers that I sliced up. The bright yellows, shades of reds, and green was truly pretty. Having put the oven on to cook the ratatouille, I decided to roast the rainbow trout too. A nice simple lunch – but very tasty.

By now it was late afternoon and no a cloud in sight, so I stayed indoors – and made blackcurrant jam – four large jars – I love how the colour turned from pale red to really dark when I boiled it up with the sugar. I thought that it might be black (I haven’t made blackcurrant jam before and didn’t realise that the juice was red.) It reached setting point quite quickly and I am just going to have some on a doorstep of my crusty bread.

Pat is out bowling – and so I am going to indulge myself – feet up with a good book – fan going to keep me cool – and perfect peace. No football, no tennis, no noise.

Thanks for all your lovely comments – I will answer them tomorrow – just need a bit of a rest tonight.

Glad to hear that the rain came down on some of you – hopefully it will be our turn tomorrow. I will still go up the allotment to let the girls out to play – maybe pick more courgettes, and just soak up the sights, sounds, and smells – which will be a bit strong and the gigantic pile of piggy poo, really hums when it gets wet!