Monday, December 31, 2012

Happy New Year



Warmest New Year wishes to all my readers from a very soggy Britain.  The above photo was taken by Grandson#1 after church yesterday morning. The river is actually behind the trees, though you would never have guessed that. Here’s wishing us all good health, contentment, and somewhat better weather in 2013.

Back home on Wednesday, after which normal blogging service will hopefully be resumed. J

52 comments:

  1. Happy New Year, Perpetua! Here's hoping for better weather and better times in 2013. :)

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    1. Thanks, DB, and may 2013 be kind to you and yours.

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  2. Happy new year to you also Perpetua!
    We are also having a lot of rain and just generally icky weather here. I'm looking forward to the new year and sunshine.

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    1. Thanks, Rubye. We're actually being promised a bit of sun for tomorrow and are hoping to get out for a walk in the afternoon. We're going stir-crazy here!

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  3. Happy New Year to you and your family, Perpetua

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    1. Thank.Molly. I gather from your blog and the news that Wales is if anything even wetter than over here. I do hope it improves for you soon.

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  4. Happy New Year Perpetua even though we will celebrate it's arrival an hour before you do :-) Is that Oxford or Yorkshire in the photograph? Thank goodness, we've been spared most of your rain other than on Sunday 23rd December when it rained most of the day & turned the lying snow into slush - Ugh! Looking forward to the return of normal blogging service.

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    1. Thanks, Ricky I'll think of you already raising your glass while we're still waiting here. :-)

      The photo is of the River Ouse in the Vale of York. I could have taken a similar one of the Isis in Port Meadow in Oxford a few days ago, if I'd had my camera with me. It is WET here!

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  5. Happy New Year...not yet arrived here...though it is warm....
    I do hope the weather picks up for you soon.

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    1. Thanks, Fly. So do I - and the rest of the UK population. There are many records I would like to break, but the wettest year isn't one of them. Sigh.... Some of your warmth would be very welcome. :-)

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  6. Dear Perpetua & DH,
    Happy New Year and love from me & the BH - see you soon. Mid-Wales is awash as well - floods all round the area, although driving is OK on the whole. You missed a mega water problem over the weekend - a major supply pipe fractured near Llandinam reservoir, and all of Llani, Llandinam, Caersws, Newtown and Kerry, plus places on up towards Welshpool, had no water overnight Saturday and until mid-afternoon on Sunday. Panic stations all over the area, and I expect many folk had to do what we did and go out for lunch on Sunday! Coed y Dinas was doing a roaring trade - the restaurant was heaving. Have a safe journey home.

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    1. Thanks, Helva and looking forward to seeing you too. Gosh, not having looked at the Welsh news recently, I hadn't heard about the burst. What a nuisance for a lot of people. Mind, you, being on a well supply at home, we probably wouldn't have known there either, without seeing the news. I do hope everything has now returned to normal.

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    2. Yes, at least as far as I know - we were back on by mid-afternoon on Sunday, with no problems, although folk nearer to the burst were having to boil their water until further notice and were going to be issued with bottled water on a daily basis until S-T were completely satisfied with the water quality (they gave out a list of postcodes that would be affected by this on their website, and also delivered letters to all the affected areas - very efficient, I thought, especially as it was this weekend of all weekends for it to happen!) I don't know if it even got on to the news, but the website picked things up very smartly - I found it just before going to bed on Saturday, not long after Peter had discovered that the supply had failed. Fortunately he managed to rescue enought to last us for night-time drinks and breakfast, and even morning coffee - and there was sufficient in the tanks for the ablutions etc in the morning, although what would have happened if it had gone on longer (ie over the New Year, as I was afraid might happen) I hate to think!

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    3. Glad to hear it didn't last too long. Here's to a New Year with water only where we want it to be. :-)

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    4. We have been waterless, here in Llani, but we have had several packs of bottled water from Severn Trent, and have survived so far. Not being able to run the dishwasher was the biggest pain. We have seen the New Year in enjoying fireworks over the town and the bells of St Idloes. See you soon!

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    5. A pain about the dishwasher, Baby Sis, but your New Year's Eve sounds fun. Ours was muted as DD is still recovering from flu, so we didn't actually stay up to see the New Year in. But today the sun is shining, so we're all feeling much brighter and the great outdoors beckons after lunch.

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  7. Dear Perpetua - I think that next year we may all be growing duck feet, and did you know that it is all down to that wretched jet-stream. At the beginning of the year it was lying to far away from Britain and brought in the hot drought weather with a hosepipe ban, and then it moved far too near to us and brought us all this rain!!!
    Wishing you and yours a Happy New Year, and safe travelling home again.

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    1. Quack!! So true, Rosemary. :-) Yes, I gathered that the dratted jet-stream was to blame. Three years ago it was too far south and gave us an Arctic winter and Madeira catastrophic floods. Now it doesn't seem to know when to leave us in peace. Thankfully the forecasters seem to think things are about to improve. Fingers crossed.....

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  8. Happy New Year. We finally had a cooler night last night although it will be another hot day. At least the humidity has dropped.

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    1. Thanks, Susan. For you it's already 2013 and I hope it will be kind to you. You're too hot and we're too wet. It's a shame we can't even things up around the world. :-)

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  9. Happy New Year, Perpetua, and I hope 2013 is an excellent year for you. That is one very swollen river! I hope the rain stops soon.

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    1. Thanks, Patricia, and I'm glad to say the sun is actually shining today. :-) I gather from DD that the river here has looked like that far too often for comfort in the past year, so hopefully 2013 will bring us all better weather.

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  10. We are promised icy conditions here tomorrow - not the way I'd like to start the New Year, but better than flood! Stay safe, stay dry and warm, and enjoy the first day of the year, wherever you spend it!

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    1. Thanks, Pondside. I do hope your ice proves not to be too bad. Driving in icy conditions has always been something I heartily dislike, especially as we live in a hilly area. Here the weather is much brighter and is even tempting us outside for a squelchy New Year's Day walk. :-)

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  11. Happy New Year Perpetua from a very soggy village in Turkey. Hoping the weather improves for all of us and that 2013 proves to be a very good year xxx

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    1. Thanks. Ayak. From your last pist your weather sounds as dire as ours has been, so I hope you too will see the improvement we're promised here. Fingers crossed......

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  12. Happy New Year to you & yours Perpetua. We're pretty soggy too, not in your league I'll grant, and I'm looking forward to some drier weather. Be happy & healthy in 2013.

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    1. Thanks, Jon, et une très Bonne Année to you too. I'd read that France is getting its share of rain this winter and I suppose we should be grateful it isn't all coming down as snow or we wouldn't move again until spring. :-) Here's to dryness and warmth before too long.

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  13. Happy New Year and very best wishes - perhaps we might even cross paths in 2013

    Mark

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    1. Thanks, Mark and the same to you and yours. Crossing paths sounds like an excellent idea and I must think how that might come to pass....

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  14. Bonne Année from a soggy squelchy Charnizay. Wishing you and yours all good things for 2013 :-)!

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    1. Et à vous aussi, Niall and Antoinette. Sorry you are also awash.

      I tried to get onto your blog yesterday to wish you Happy New Year and DD's Norton internet security settings wouldn't let me!!! Apparently your blog is not considered suitable for younger readers. :-)) I'll have to wait until we get home tomorrow.....

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  15. Happy New Year P. The UK seems to be getting soggier by the minute. No doubt there will be a drought warning by May.

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    1. Thanks, BtoB. I don't think we can get any soggier. The ground is totally saturated, all the ditches and rivers are brimming and puddles just sit there eternally. We'll need weeks without rain for things to improve, so let's hope we get them. A drought warning sounds good at the moment. :-)

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  16. Oh this weather is so depressing, but Annie ( Moving On) arrived back in Spain to sunshine, and a friend of mine in Perth tells me it was 42 degrees there yesterday. (Can you even imagine ? !)
    Whatever the weather brings, I hope you have a great new Year and a joyful 2013. Fondest wishes Janice x

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    1. Thanks, Janice, and I wish the same and more to you for 2013. It was so encouraging to wake up to sunshine this morning and I hope you're getting some of it in Hebden Bridge. It's cloudier now, but I can still see blue sky, which makes SUCH a change after the last few weeks.

      Here's to summer and sunshine in France. :-) Pxxx

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  17. Happy New Year to Big Sis Perpetua and her DH, DD, DS-in-law & two number DGSs.

    Better day here today and we even had a short walk in the dry with winter sunshine this afternoon.

    Wishing you a safe & swift journey home tomorrow.

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    1. Many thanks, PolkaDot, and the same to you and your family. We too managed to get out his afternoon for a lovely walk in woodland, as the wind was very cold in the open countryside. It was so good to stretch my legs and have the cobwebs blown away. Now I'd better go an pack, ready for an early start tomorrow.....

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  18. We were able to see a bit of Britain from the air as we fly in and out, not too many clouds then. It looked pretty waterlogged though - without doubt, 2013 could be less damp for you all. And Janice is right - we landed in 22 degrees (can she have really meant it was 42 degrees in Perth though - ah, yes, Perth, Australia, of course!) and went for a walk on the beach! It's raining today though and very cold. Good job the weather doesn't matter that much to us and we are warm and cosy inside, thank goodness. Much love to you and your family. Here's to a bloggy 2013. Axxx

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    1. It sounds like you had a great trip to visit your family and meet up with Janice, Annie, and I'm glad it wasn't blighted by the weather. Today has been much better, but oh, what I'd give for a touch of 22 degree heat (NOT 42!) :-) It's hard to see how 2013 could be damper than last year and it's made a good start. Looting forward to reading about your Christmas and having time to blog about my own. Pxxx

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  19. Happy New Year to you and DH too! Yes let's hope that 2013 gives us all some better weather! Amazing photo.... a worriesome time for homes around many rivers and streams.... Look forward to your blog posts in 2013!

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    1. Thanks, Sian. Thankfully the rain seems to have stopped today after a grey, drizzly and misty trip home across the Pennines yesterday. No sign of sun in the forecast, but no rain for a few days is a good start to 2013.....

      I have passed your compliment onto Grandson#1 who took the photo for me on his phone. His reaction to having it published to the worldwide web was the inevitable 13-year-old's "Cool!" ;-)

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  20. It is New Year's Day evening here on the Cutoff, Perpetua, where we are once again nestled in, starting our day up north at minus 7 degrees Farenheit. It is a tad warmer here, but, the sun shone all the way down as we did our 8 hour trek back home. I hope the rain has cleared for you all. What a wet year 2012 was for you. Best in 2013 for you, DH, and your family.

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    1. Brrr!! What a cold start to you for 3012, Penny. I'm glad you're now safe and warm again on the Cutoff. No snow or frost for us, but at least the rain has stopped for the moment, which is a real blessing, after Britain's second wettest year on record in 2012 (2000 being the wettest). All the best to you and Tom.

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  21. An interesting and thought-provoking photo. Looking forward to your news in 2013.

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    1. Thank you, Linda, on Grandson#1's behalf, as he took the photo for me. I have passed your comment on to him. He's quite pleased to have his photo on my blog. :-)

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  22. Yup, the Dee looks like that all the way between here and Chester ... the whole flood plain is awash ... so hoping 2013 will be sunny!

    Happy New Year Kathy, here's hoping it's a great one for you and yours :D

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    1. Thanks, Annie. I thought it would look only too familiar to you, living where you do. :D The level of the Severn is starting to drop in our area, but only to the extent that it isn't all over the fields any more. Here's to a 2013 with more sun than rain - please!

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  23. That photo is amazing. See you in the coming year and looking forward to it.

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    1. Thanks, Sally. Grandson#1 will be very pleased to hear you say that. :-) I gather the river level reached 25 feet two days after the photo was taken!

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  24. After looking at your picture and reading your post and all the comments I declare that the good thing about living in the Deep South is – sun! We did not have a day of snow in 2012 (which was a shame really) nor ice. We are down in our rain fall and the lakes are down. As I write a red Cardinal bird landed in the branch in front of my window but there is so much sun that I cannot take a photo! Today we will have full sun and 51 F (11 C) which is a bit cool but next week we are going back to 63 F (17C.) So we cannot complain but I wish you some sun too and a great 2013 with happiness and fun!

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    1. Your first sentence made me laugh, Vagabonde. We British have a very bad habit of talking about the weather, but only because we get so much of it. Thankfully the cloud cover means that it's quite mild for early January (10C) but the sun is only appearing very briefly from time to time. Lots of sun and 17C sound truly wonderful, but I do hope you don't end up with water shortages.

      Sun, fun and happiness sounds like a good recipe for the New Year.

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