What a wild week.  It's been almost impossible to get out and do anything useful since last Sunday and Thursday topped the lot.  Early on we had a full flood with the river running well over its banks all the way from Newhouses to Helwith Bridge.  Most of the bank side footpaths below Horton were impassable and a job for this week, weather permitting, will be to check the stiles along this stretch for damage.  By Thursday afternoon the flood had abated a bit but the wind made it nearly impossible to stand up at Newhouses so one can only guess what it must have been like high up on the fells.  Fortunately we seem to have escaped with very little damage apart from a damaged goat house roof and the back gate that was ripped off and flung about three yards up the lane.

It's much calmer now but cold and the clouds are beginning to break up so a trip to the Tarn before lunch seems in order to check for damage up there.  I really pity the swans in that severe weather as there is very little shelter near the tarn apart from the cross walls.

So, it's been a week of desk work (ugh) and making myself a general nuisance around the house.  However, the next not to be missed edition of the Horton Parish News is now nearing completion and you may like to read my short piece on stone flies written for it.

Lets hope that this week is a bit kinder.  We are promised some snow so that will make a bit of a change from all this persistent wet.  See you next Sunday.

Ian