After the Storm

It was very stormy here last week. The sky was a heavy, moody grey and the air was hot, close and muggy. During June we had many, many days filled with a light but persistent dismal drizzle. It's been one of the wettest months I can think of, and that's saying something considering what April was like. But last week was different.

Last week the rain was BIG. It came in short, sharp, incredible bursts. It absolutely hurled itself down from the sky in torrential downpours.

The above photo was taken just outside the back door on Thursday, at about 5.30pm. The storm had been threatening all afternoon, the air felt thick and the sky was dark. When it finally came, it was  such a relief (especially as we were home and not on the school run). It was exhilarating, exciting, crazy weather and I LOVED it!!! The Little People were similarly thrilled by it, I wish you could have seen them. They ran out into our back yard and jumped and twirled about in it, arms outstretched, faces turned upwards. Little Lady had thought to pop her wellie boots on, but Little B simply went out in a t-shirt and bare feet. I stood in the doorway and laughed and laughed, they were so hugely happy to be getting wet!

Later on Thursday evening when the storm had passed, we were left with a most beautiful evening. The light was amazing, the landscape looked so bright and lush.

I felt a huge desire to go out and look at the landscape (it was 9.30pm by now) so off I went to walk round and about our little neighbourhood.

The storm had left an amazing sky behind it, all rich and golden.

Everything glowed. It filled me with joy.

I walked back along the side of the canal, the water was very still and the reflections were amazing.

The boats come and go all the time on this part of the canal. Often we recognise the regulars, but in the summer there are many new boats arriving that we've not seen before. The purple boat on the left there is new, it looks so homely with it's neat piles of logs stacked on the roof and its pretty tubs of herbs and flowers on board. There is even a row of sunflowers planted there look, I really hope the boat sticks around so that I can see those come into flower, won't that be something? A purple boat decked out with bright yellow sunflowers......yummy!

I totally love this time of year when our days are so beautifully long. Even when the weather is bad (and boy, it has been pretty dire lately) I adore the light early mornings and long, late evenings.

This last photo was taken at 9.46pm, as I was heading homewards. I was only out walking for about twenty minutes, but what a wonderful little slice of my day it was.

x

I just wanted to add that I'm sorry I've been gone from the Attic a while, I kind of lost my blogging voice for a bit. Life has been very busy and I've also come down with a cold so not been feeling great. Hoping to be back with you all properly very soon.

ps.. a special message for Amanda who lives in Lancashire....Amanda, please could you be sure to leave me a comment so that I can contact you? Thank you x

 

 

Comments

[Beate]

Good gracious, am I the first to comment?
Lucy, you even make bad weather look beautiful. Great pictures! Hope you feel better from the cold soon!

[maggie]

Beautiful Lucy, extraordinarily beautiful. The lovely colours all around and as always your super photographs. Hope your cold clears up soon.
Maggie x

[Tracy Chaplain-Payne]

Hope you feel better soon Lucy, I was wondering where you were I usually takre a look every couple of days! You have inspired me so much I have tried a lot of your patterns in fact just finished a huge ripple blanket in all my fave blues, purples and greys and really pleased with it. Another thing I have done is the wall hanging but have used the flower from the blooming flower cushion and worked in gold, brown and yellow to make a sunflower top, it looks great! If I can work out how to post the photos I will put them on for you! Thanks very much. Keep up the good work!
Tracy

[Hahnsmum]

lsnt it always lovely after rain- everything so clean & smelling so fresh...
l am facinated by your night photos..
our nights over here get dark after about 7pm.. Would be nice to be able to take nice bright photos at night...
l love the photos of your canals, with all the gorgeous coloured boats..
Best Wishes from Australia..

[Jo]

The photos of the canal are gorgeous, I particularly love the first one. Hope you are feeling better soon.

[Marigold Jam]

Fabulous photos. It's wonderful to have the light evenings and early starts isn't it even if it's not summery all day! I think many of us lose our blogging voices from time to time but it's good to see you back.

[fairy nuff]

I want to go walking to see your beautiful landscapes too. How inspiring. Hope you're feeling better, there's been some weird bugs around. Xx

[Anne Reed]

It's so hard to be positive about the weather we are currently having ...but you manage to make it sseem bearable,Lucy.Your photos are lovely and as there is absolutely nothing we can do about it we have to embrace it.I wish I could have seen your kiddiwinks in the rain.....children just love the feeling and the sensation of getting soaked to the skin whereas adults worry about getting everything wet and catching a cold...blah...blah.I reckon sunflowers on a purple barge will be a sight to behold.Enjoy your week.
Anne x

[Manu]

wonderfull pics - i like your blog

greatings from germany
Manu

[Michelle]

What a beautiful pictures, i love the ones with the gorgeous sunset.

[Val]

Dear dear Lucy, I love your blog, and especially how you take us with you on your little walks and journeys. What I love so much though is how you appreciate LIVING, and LOVING your family, and ENJOYING everything about our wonderful Creation. It blesses me so much to read all of your comments, to see your beautiful photos and to remember my natural home .... Yorkshire. I truly believe there is no place like Yorkshire ...... except of course Dorset!
May your cold leave you with radiance in your heart and strength to enjoy the blessings of each day.
Many thanks for encouraging me each visit I make to the Attic.
best wishes to you and your lovely family, Val xx

[Lorna]

Lucy, what a lovely place you live in - and what fantastic photographs. We had similar weather here in the Scottish Borders, the streets turned into rivers. I have to confess that I went out in bare feet too, just in my little hidden-away back garden. Yaay for Little B! There's something wonderful about rain on bare skin, but I daren't go any further than the feet! Thanks for your charming blog.
Lorna x

[Panhandle Jane]

What lovely pictures! Thank you for sharing them with us.

[Nata]

Hi Lucy, nice to read you again. Hope you're feeling better soon! Thanks for the beautiful pics. So lovely colors and great impressions! Greetings from South Germany, Nata

[ella]

i love this weather.....nothing more spectacular than summer rain and its resulting atmosphere....great snaps

[Gail]

Please spare a thought for the people not so very far away from you, in Hebden Bridge and the rest of the Upper Calder Valley, and now in the North East, for whom the rain has not been fun... people who have lost homes and businesses and life savings, people whose children wake up having nightmares because of the fear the sudden rainstorm-induced floods invoked... and for the rest of us, who are trying to help them.

[melissa]

Ah, I've missed you :-) But I always have a lovely time looking through your beautiful archives! Hope you are feeling better soon. What gorgeous photos!

[Jeanine]

Ms. Lucy,

Send that rain my way :). The pictures were wonderful and "green".

Jeanine

[Naomi]

I love the pictures of the canal so perfectly calm and still! I agree the purple canal boat with sunflowers would be spectacular. We once went on a canal boat holiday and I would love to go again.

Hoping you feel better soon!

[Carol]

Lovely Lucy, I've never commented on a blog before but just wanted to say THANKYOU. I learnt to crochet in January from a friend and I thought I loved it, but then I discovered your blog and now I adore it. You make me want to crochet so much more and make your lovely patterns - especially the happy flower, oh how I love that flower! But I also wanted to say a huge Thankyou for all your posts where you share your life and take us out and about with you. As someone who is housebound and often bed bound, I have loved reading about your daily life and your wonderful picnics (oh how I wish I could do that!), what the Little People are up to, and your beautiful, cosy home. A huge Thankyou Lucy, and I hope you feel much better soon. X

[Rachell]

Lovely photos of the sunset.
Glad you didn't get washed away last week, I did wonder when the weather reports were so dire for the north. xx

[Carolyn Johnson]

Missed you these last few days. Your postings and photographs always brighten my day, even in all this grey weather. The sun is shining down south today hope it is the same for you and it clears your cold.

[Julie]

Glad you and yours were safe in the storms that betterd the country. Super piccies on your evening stroll.

[jamee levy]

lots of summer rain here in nw washington state, usa, too. cant help but love it!

[Barbara]

Hi Lucy :) Sorry you have been under the weather lately. It's been unbearably hot here in GA USA for 3 straight days it's been over 104 and today suppose to be 104. I would love to see some rain soon to cool off!