We have had some wild
weather in the past couple of months, one gale after another. I grew
up in hill country very similar to this so I am used to strong winds,
even so I must say that last night was one of the noisiest I've
encountered.
When I opened the
curtains yesterday morning the sky was a livid shade of red,not just
streaks, the whole sky seemed to be on fire so that I knew at once we
were in for a stormy day. The redness faded quickly and then the wind
picked up,buffeting the house and rattling the doors.
By lunch time it things
the gusts were so strong that on looking out across the fields I saw
a crow flying backwards, caught by a terrific cross wind as it
attempted to land.
I settled down in the
kitchen to make Lebcuchen,a spicy chocolaty cookie topped with large
sugar crystals, my first batch of gift cookies.
Through the kitchen
window I had a grandstand view of the effects of the still
strengthening wind, first the bird table toppled over scattering
peanuts across the patio, next a large white plastic bag blew across
the garden and caught in the pear tree. From time to time bangs and
thumps on the west wall of the house testified that the usual
exchange of dustbin lids was taking place and by the time the
children were heading home from school the wind was strong enough to
be dangerous as chunks of tree fell in to the lane .
We ate dinner to the
accompaniment of more loud bumps and bangs and by the time we were
turning in the win was howling like a banshee and the stove pipe
rattled alarming with each great gust!
There is something
about windy weather which makes cakes silly, our ran around the house
all day long, chasing their own tails, each other, and anything else
which moved and generally causing a serious hazard to anyone who got
in there way.
By morning the wind has
dropped. Just a little and the clear up was beginning around the
village and the three us us feeling a little rusty met for breakfast
a little later than usual.
Today is Pa's sixty
fifth birthday and it is a tradition in our family that the birthday
boy can order anything he likes for breakfast and dinner. Pa ordered
a cheese omelette and my son decided to have the same, I rustled up a
couple of large three eggers and I had a boiled egg (I am still on Dr
Dooms death or glory diet!).
We gave Pa his gifts
and cards, mostly stuff for his model railway and the usual bottle of
Port which he loves and then he went of to his study to play. Three
days of complete rest have improved his arthritis sufficiently for
him to be able to enjoy his special day. My son began tidying up the
garden and I set about the preparations for Pa's birthday feast.
He had chose a fore rib
roast and Black Mountain Beef to be served with Yorkshire puddings,
roast potatoes and mushy peas, a very traditional north of England
meal. This was followed by an enormous Pavlova well stuffed with
whipped cream and topped with grapes,strawberries and blueberries,
and as I decorated this delectable concoction I resolve that for once
I would ignore the damned diet and have a large slice at dinner!
We ate in the cosy
kitchen and we toasted dear Pa's birthday with a bottle of red wine.
He suffers so much pain and is so very brave about it all,we love him
very very much.
The weather forecast
for tonight is not promising although at the moment it is quieter
than yesterday so I hope to get a better nights sleep, we shall see!
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