Central Plateau, North Island

Central Plateau, North Island
View from a friend's farm

Wednesday, 12 November 2014

I Heard it Coming

 

This morning I ventured outside, for a brief walk.The noise started in our trees, unusual, loud and shrill. Screaming from the rooftops of our neighbours’ homes, through the tall trees still standing,  then suddenly it arrived,

Hail, freezingly cold, sharp and lingering for some time. The temperature dropped, and it has stayed coolish all day.The fire is lit, we are cosy and warm, and as these words  say, from Robert Browning,

from Pippa Passes

    The year's at the spring
    And day's at the morn;
    Morning's at seven;
    The hillside's dew-pearled;
    The lark's on the wing;
    The snail's on the thorn:
    God's in His heaven—
    All's right with the world!

Hugh’s vege garden, with pipes, bird netting and hail on  the newly composted beds

Hail on the vege garden

This bearded Iris is sheltered under a tree, but was still battered.

Sheltered from the hail

The lonely single Californian Poppy drooped its head to shelter those petals,  there are  more to flower another day.

Hail and the single Eschscholzia californica

No better place to be all night and most of the morning, a fleece rug on the settee, warmth from the fire overnight, and breakfast waiting in the kitchen. Security and comfort.

My comfy bed

 

Quotation of the day, author unknown

“ Whether it is or whether it isn’t,

the weather will be whatever it is that day”

Greetings from Jean

21 comments:

Carol Mattingly said...

It sounds the perfect warm and cozy to me. Tell the hail to go away. Carol

Susan Heather said...

Once again that explains our temperature here. Yesterday was pleasant but today the thermometer in our porch reads 16 and the wind is definitely icy.

I have just lit the pot belly stove.

Linda said...

Great post and lovely photos, Jean.

Leeanne said...

Very strange weather! The wind has a chilly feel to it tonight.

joanne said...

Those poor flowers really took a beating! It does look rather like a dusting of snow out there in the garden. Glad everyone is safe and sound.

Karen said...

Oh, Hugh's raised bed gardens are so tidy!!!
It's been mild here, but the cold is on it's way. I can hear the wind howling outside, and snow is predicted for the weekend.

Razzle Dazzle Quilter said...

Superb photos. What a shock, the sudden change of temperature.

Julie Fukuda said...

I love those Browning verses. A little hard for those flowers to duck. I think weird weather is becoming normal all around the globe.

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

Great newsy post and I loved the photos. Warm and comfy is a good thing when it's cold out.

Enjoy your week ~ FlowerLady

TexWisGirl said...

i hope you didn't sustain any damage, other than to the tender plants! hail is an amazing force!

Kate said...

Looks like the perfect way to spend a miserable day.

Janet said...

I like your poetry as well as Robert Browning's. :)

Barb said...

Another reminder of cold weather for you. (Poor Iris!) That always happens to us here in the mountains in springtime, too. It's our most "unstable" season. Yesterday and today - snow. I think this will stay as our base. Hope you and Hugh are feeling well.

Our photos said...

That's a lot of hail. Pity the flowers !

Allie said...

And I'm in my cozy chair, heating pad on my lap, toes well snugged into a comforter - it's snowing outside. Lovely post!

Jim said...

Don't you just love the power/force/language of Mother Nature, Jean. She always surprises me with her antics!

In Nova Scotia we call a spring snow/hail a 'farmers fertilizer'. It is a good thing as soon as everything readjusts and straightens out again.
Nice to see your garden and Iris, California Poppy (our fav!!)

The weather is what it is,eh? I am thankful I am here to enjoy all of it. As are you, i can see.

Jenn Jilks said...

Oh, my. We had snow and the frog pond is frozen over! Such opposites!

Michaele said...

Those garden beds look so nice! I hope this is the last of the hail for you so you can get on with nice weather! It is your turn after all.

KB said...

I am so impressed with Hugh's veggie gardens! I have a small one but I hope that someday I have as much growing space as he does!

It will truly be summer there soon. I'm glad that no veggies were out to be harmed by the hail.

Optimistic Existentialist said...

The weather has been a little bit of everywhere here in KY :)

Jenn Jilks said...

What a sweet kitty! Flowers, too. I like the netting idea!