Wednesday 19 February 2014

Fields of Water



The old railway bridge at Ringwood.



Thank you to everyone who calls in and follows my blog, especially to those who leave a comment.
I`m not very good at replying to individual comments but I do try and make return visits to your blogs!


Yesterday there were more spectacular storm clouds rolling in from the west. Dry times abruptly ended as rain and hail battered down. Heavy showers would pass  quickly and leave blue skies in their wake.

We walked beside the floods again at Ringwood and found the old railway line. The Castleman Corkscrew Line once carried trains between Brockenhurst and Wimborne, until the Beeching cuts of the 1960s closed it down. Now there is a track to walk, cycle or ride along.

We stood at a gate onto riverside farmland, where cattle graze in summer.




Beyond a muddy gateway and empty cattle feeders, floods stretched across the land.







No more signals on this railway.





A few pussy willows were breaking bud. Silver white against blue sky.




Deep red shades of Alder catkins brightened trees beside the river channel.




Seagulls rested on emerging, higher grassy mounds.




Amazing skies. Ever-changing layers of grey and white clouds reflected in the floods.




Looking back across The Bickerley to Ringwood town, .......




we walked across a footbridge, over swirling water, beside red bricked cottages.......




...and watched a swan, gliding across wide floods towards its mate.



12 comments:

Bovey Belle said...

What a lovely walk, but off the track, boy that's wet underfoot! I bet you can't ever remember floodin this bad.

Keep dry and warm (if you can!)

Anonymous said...

More amazing photos of the floods. These will be great as an archive. I love the reflections on the water and the starkness of the trees.

Ragged Robin said...

It looks a lovely walk but goodness it looks so flooded. Lovely to see the signs of Spring :)

WOL said...

How intensely blue the sky was, when it was visible. Here in Texas we are still under drought conditions. We would gladly take some rain off your hands.

The Weaver of Grass said...

A lovely post as usual, I do like the way you take us round your countryside.
Get your son to look at the pictures of my Border terrier on my blog - they are a lovely breed tell him. Their only fault is that they are obedient but tend to say 'Oh yes, I am coming, but I will come when I am ready and at my own pace." Be warned.

Em Parkinson said...

All these flood photos should be kept as a record of this time. Lovely, if terrifying!

Linda said...

Lovely series of photos. Greetings from Montreal, Canada.

Pam said...

Gosh that all looks very wet. We haven't had much rain at all this winter. Strange. And horrible for the affected people.

Happy story about the wee dog, though. How lucky that you heard him!

SeagullSuzie said...

Whilst we have been worrying about our houses (and rightly so) poor farmers and their animals must be wondering when the land will be dry enough to use again, and our fishermen have lost a lot of money. Beautiful blue skies and lovely images, so nice to see some sunny days again.

A said...

Those flood pictures are stunning.

Crafty Green Poet said...

lovely photos, but those floods are bad. We have been really lucky here in Central Scotland, missing out on all the extreme weather so far...

crafty cat corner said...

I wouldn't worry about replying to comments, it's impossible to get through to everyone isn't it.
My son used to live in Ringwood and when we visited we used to take our bikes and have some lovely rides through the forest, such a beautiful place, you are so lucky. He has moved now with his job as an Air traffic controller and lives in Glasgow,he hates it there and as soon as he can he is moving back down South.
Briony
x