Stormy.

What wild weather night last night. I was just settling down to sleep at about 12.30 listening to the wind and lashing rain and being happy that I didn't need to get up to protect the drive from being washed away when I remembered how the last strong winds here had blown over the plastic bin store. Out of bed I leapt, put on coat, shoes and hat and went outside to secure the bin store by placing a concrete slab on top and dragging one of the large planters round to stop it from moving. That done I got back into bed and snuggled down to listen to the shipping forecast. The report for the inshore Lundy waters (ie here) were severe gale 9 to storm force 10. I always thought a gale was worse than a storm but apparently not. The street light went out at 1.00 so I could only hear the clattering of the recycling bins being blown about. Thursday is the recycling collection day and everyone had put their boxes, food caddies and paper & cardboard sacks out ready for collection. Stuff was blown everywhere and in the morning I noticed a couple of the neighbours picking things up and putting them in the boxes ready for collection. I looked out of the back room window to see what was happening in the garden but it was sheltered by the house so relatively calm. As I didn't need to worry about anything else it was very cosy lying in bed listening to the World Service which as usual provided a interesting mix of subjects from the usb stick found in some leopard seal scat in NZ which was dried out and then found to have pictures of seals on it, to a chap whose parents had been on the Kinder Transport going back to find his roots in Poland and best of all half an hour talking to three wedding cake bakers including the lady who made the lemon and elderflower cake for the Harry and Meghan's wedding. It was just a shame that I couldn't drop off to sleep even after a top up of tablets. I eventually dropped off at 6.30 after a flash of lightning at 5.00 and slept for over an hour then woke up feeling dreadful until after a cup of tea. The same thing happens if I take a nap in the day which is why I don't. Surprisingly although I'm running on empty I've felt okay during the day just beginning to feel tired now at 10.30.

It's been a day of sunshine and sudden fierce showers some with hail. They're not the best pictures but above is a faint rainbow and below rain is approaching. There was a long enough sunny spell to get some washing half dry outside.We're collecting the camper tomorrow (I got the day wrong) and I didn't want to tempt fate by starting to look for houses until the camper is safely at the farm. We are due Storm Erik tomorrow, it's already causing flooding in Ireland, so I carried 2 heavy concrete slabs from the back garden and put them inside the bin store weighing it down. No chance of it getting blown over now. I also baked a batch of chocolate chunk cookies to top up the biscuit box. Naturally I had to test one to make sure they were okay.

Last night in choir we carried on practising songs for a concert in March. We got right to the end when Jackie announced that we'd run through Dulaman or as we call it the seaweed song. A groan arose as none of us like it. Sometimes a song doesn't sound too good as we learn it but is fine in the end but even listening to it being sung properly on YouTube it is terrible. It's the first time I've come across a song which nobody except our leader likes. Peter is not keen on pop songs especially Time after Time but they are generally popular especially with audiences. Alleluia sung to Pachelbel's cannon is a favourite with us all.