The grey of the day

"There was no possibility of taking a walk that day. We had been
wandering, indeed, in the leafless shrubbery an hour in the morning;
but since dinner (Mrs. Reed, when there was no company, dined early)
the cold winter wind had brought with it clouds so sombre, and a
rain so penetrating, that further out-door exercise was now out of
the question.There was no possibility of taking a walk that day. We had been
wandering, indeed, in the leafless shrubbery an hour in the morning;
but since dinner (Mrs. Reed, when there was no company, dined early)
the cold winter wind had brought with it clouds so sombre, and a
rain so penetrating, that further out-door exercise was now out of
the question." (Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte)


It is the time of year when I think about these opening lines often.  As I stand and look out of the garden it is not a walk I am hoping for but some time out there, getting some weeding done, getting some time with my garden.  Today, like many recent days, I aim to get out there but it is so wet and squelchy that doing anything meaningful is unlikely.  Even if I do start to contemplate doing something as that would be better than nothing, there remains the knowledge that there is more rain due later. 
We seem to be getting very little quality daylight at the moment, there is a heavy greyness that pervades constantly.  We have seen the odd sunny day, but generally it is grey and the air hangs full of moisture.  Some areas of the country have seen serious flooding so I have to consider the mere inconvenience of not being able to garden in the perspective of how awful it is to be flooded and the damage that it causes.

and still it rains.
even Natasha and Elsie look they are crying.  Today I can see some sunshine and we even had a frost the other day.  According to the forecast there will be more frost this week which, oddly, I rather welcome.  The garden needs a period of freeze, it needs the annual weeds to be killed off a bit and hopefully the loss of a slug or two.  The soil also benefits from a bit of freezing and unfreezing, it helps break it up a bit.  Of course if the freeze lasts too long (and there is no definition of too long) then I shall then be pining for Spring and some bright milder days.  For now though, I welcome the thought of bright crisp days.

Comments

  1. Be safe in the knowledge the weather and your sentiments and echoed here in Scotland too Alison.

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    1. I think you've had it far worse than here, hope all is ok for you.

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  2. We actually had our first sunny day for a long time today Alison, but there is such a lot of drying out needed, everywhere is absolutely sodden.
    Hopefully we too will get a bit of frost this coming week to kill the nasties off and get the plants thinking that it is winter and not spring already!

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    Replies
    1. Today has been sunny here too, its been a welcome relief. The sun certainly lifts the spirits.

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  3. Indeed, Natasha and Elsie look very sad, they suffer of the rainy grey days, like we do. Yes, here frost is in the forcast too, I like to have sunny blue skies and a bit of frost in winter, otherwise January is so depressing.

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    1. I find January and February difficult as they are so grey. I'm hoping some cold bright days might help.

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  4. What a winter for you all..Don't know if you've read David Marsden's most recent post, but similar malaise over constant rain, only they actually had some flood damage there. Hope you do get some frosty clear days soon! Good weather at least for reading those garden books one doesn't get time to read in the height of the season : )

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  5. I also am itching to get going in the garden again. Definitely wet here in Cheshire, mind you we have avoided the flooding, it must be awful.

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