Dodging the Raindrops

Our younger daughter has obtained at very short notice a weeks work experience in mid Somerset. This entails an hour and a quarter journey there and back morning and evenings to take her there (roll on her passing her test!). Today Brian came with me and we decided to have a day out while she was there. Brian was optimistic because the day looked bright at 5.30am when he got up. The sunrise was red but despite this shepherd 's warning he remained positive. Should I at this stage have mentioned to him that the weather report had a dark cloud with multiple drops under the forecast for 10 O Clock onwards? I decided not to! 

The day started well with a sunny trip down and we waved Emma off for her day. We then headed down through the beautiful Dorset countryside. The rolling chalk hills and the picturesque thatched cottages are reminiscent of the many Thomas Hardy novels I read at school. We stopped on the outskirts of such a village to view the extraordinary figure of the Cerne Abbas Giant depicted in the chalk hill.

The figure is in serious need of restoration as it fades into the surrounding grass. 

The age of this is disputed. Some feel that it is Iron Age whilst others believe it is supposed to be a mockery to Oliver Cromwell.

We then moved onto the even more beautiful village of Abbotsbury to visit Abbotsbury Tropical Gardens where we started with a cooked breakfast! The gardens opened at 10am and almost on the dot the weather forecast proved itself to be correct. The heavens opened in true monsoon style. Undaunted we started around the gardens. This was after paying an extortionate £11.50 for the privilege. The gardens are indeed beautiful and unsupisingly we had them almost to ourselves. No need to worry about people in the way for photos. We soon learnt to stand under the trees and shrubs to admire our surroundings. We just had to find ever increasingly large leaves!

Dare I suggest the word elf?

The rest of the day on leaving the gardens remained damp and unsuitable for photos. You only have my word for it that I scrambled up onto Chesil beach to see the sea while Brian waited in the car. We then drove back past Hardy's Monument set on what could have passed for Egdon Heath. Sadly by now the sea mist was so bad that the monument was barely more than a shadow from the road only approximately 100 yards away. Even I was not tempted to get out of the car this time!

I feel sorry all the holiday makers trying to make the most of this weather. Let's hope for better weather this weekend for not only those away but so that we can crack on with cutting our wheat.