Nice Weather for Otters !

Right , I'll get the admission out of the way first - I called this entry "Nice Weather for Otters" so I could make completely gratuitous use of the otter pic ! But Ahhhh! they're so cute , and whilst he wasn't snapped in the wild , I'm sure this wet (not to mention saturating!) weather holds no problems at all for the likes of him .
The rest of us aren't doing so well though ... I live quite near to some of the worst hit areas of the country , where flooding is really causing problems . Worcestershire and Gloucestershire seem to have the brunt of it ; no power , cut off by road , ruined homes ... and even more rain and hill water run-off to come . Every time I watch the news I want to hide my eyes - the damage is heartbreaking .Luckily my immediate part of the world is fine , and I actually live on a hill . My husband surmised that if this house was flooded then the nearby town would have to be under 400 feet of wet stuff !
Whilst wistfully thinking about "normal" summer conditions I decided to put a couple of benign , calming H20 related photos on the blog . Water can be restful , relaxing and picturesque !

The beautiful cygnet speaks for itself , but I shall explain that the brick promontory , sweeping out to sea , is "The Cobb" at Lyme Regis , in Devon - the very place where Louisa Musgrove so painfully mis-timed her jump down in to Captain Wentworth's arms , in Persuasion ! How many times have I lapped up the words off the pages that Jane Austen so skillfully set down - every time , in exactly the same place , secretly thinking "Ha ! Stupid girl ; serves her right !" Perhaps I should confess I have a total and enduring love of all things "Austen" ! I was completely wrapped up in absorbing an atmosphere of times long gone the first time I visited Lyme ; a favourite scenic destination of well-to-do Georgian society , and a major location in "Persuasion" , brought to vibrant life by the author's intimate knowledge of the tiny seaside town . Concentrating hard you can just glimpse that bygone vibe of ozone and gentility - the swish of an Empire line gown hem and the shrieks of the gulls overhead !
Walking along the treacherously uneven , giddying Cobb , in Jane Austen's footsteps ? Pure Magic !


Ta Ta For Now !

Ruth xx