What a Difference A Day Makes! (Storm Frank)

Wednesday 30th December 2015

Yesterday was a lovely day in Swanage, with blue sky and a calm sea, today however was a totally different story!  The sky was dull and angry, the sea was rough and it was very windy.  We walked into Swanage at around high tide and the waves were crashing over the road, taking with it large rocks and stones from the beach, it was quite amazing.  

Yesterday.

Today!

Stones had been thrown up onto the road.

In the summer, this is a great spot to sit at Gee Whites,  today you would have got very wet!

After lunch we had another walk round, this time, because of the rough conditions the RNLI had taken both the all weather and inshore lifeboats out on rough weather exercises.

The all weather lifeboat about to leave it's mooring.......

.... and off of Peveril Point.

Some of the lifeboat crew stood watching the lifeboat off of Peveril Point.

The inshore lifeboat.

It was good to see Swanage in such a different light today as usually it's such a calm and peaceful place. The waves were incredible and it makes you realise just what the RNLI crews have to cope with at times, such epic, brave men (and women).

St Mary's Church Swanage All Decorated for Christmas

Tuesday 29th December 2015

We popped into St Mary's church on the way back from Swanage this morning to light a candle, it looked fantastic all decorated for Christmas. The lanterns must look amazing all lit up at night.

There were floral arrangements on the end of each pew.

A nativity stained glass window.

Christmas Lights at Corfe Castle

Wednesday 23rd December 2015

Coming home from Swanage this evening we had a stop off in Corfe Castle to see the Christmas lights.  This is the second year that the Castle has been lit for Christmas and it looks great, but unfortunately it's not great to take photos of with a compact camera (without a tripod), but we tried anyway.  We couldn't park in the Square so we parked in the large public car park overlooking the cemetery and Castle.  There are many lovely old cottages in the village and they look extra special at this time of year decorated for Christmas.  Even the post box has been given s snowy top and fairy lights!

Corfe Castle looking quite eerie.

The nativity scene in the square - our children, when they were young used to call them the scary people - we always had to stop off to see them though!

The church looked inviting.  Last year when we came looking at the lights it was an absolutely freezing cold night with a heavy frost early on, this year however the temperature is almost tropical!

The Bankes Arms.

The Square.

Despite the drizzle, we weren't the only ones wandering about taking photos, the lights are really quite special especially for a small village.

Southampton Common on a Bright December Morning

Friday 4th December 2015

We haven't had a walk on the Common for a while so we made the effort this morning as we had a spare hour or two.  It was a lovely bright morning and surprisingly it was fairly quiet.  

The Bellemoor Road entrance.

All was calm and sleepy at the Cemetery Lake,

even the large flock of black headed gulls was silent!

Pigeons, lots of!

There are some mighty oaks on the Common, this one I thought was especially epic.

Rhododendrons in flower, at the Northlands Road entrance.

A few remaining leaves just about hanging on.  We found a geocache not far from this spot,  well hidden in an ivy covered tree.

Very stealthy!

The Boating Lake, empty of water once again, looking a bit sad.

A busy crossroads.

It was good  to get out and see a bit of blue sky for a change.  

Lambs in Late November

Tuesday 24th November 2015

Apparently there was 9.7mm of rain last night in Swanage and the ground today seemed to confirm that figure!  The footpaths on our walk today were fairly soft and muddy with large puddles here and there.  Luckily the rain kept off for our short walk out to the coast and back although the clouds were very threatening. The first sheep we came across were the three rams that we came across in the spring, not the best looking maybe but quite friendly compared to most sheep!

Definitely wet underfoot!

At this point we could hear a young lamb calling out in a field close by, and sure enough....

...... there they were!

One little lamb seemed to have mislaid his mum so of course we couldn't leave without making sure he was reunited with mum which of course he eventually was.

It's nearly December and there are still a few blackberries about.

The view from an important place for our family with those three rams mentioned earlier mooching about in the middle.

In the afternoon we had another quick walk at Durlston Country Park where it was again dull and overcast but it was good to be out in the fresh air.

Anvil Point Lighthouse......

........ in the gloom of the afternoon.

The Tilly Whim Caves with a very low tide.

Another very pleasant walk.