Category: Weather

20 March – Spring Starts

Magnolia buds, photo by PH Morton

 

“Tomorrow’s another day.”
– Paul Green (1894)


20 March – Spring Starts

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!


2019

2oth of March is not only the official start of spring in the UK, Canada and the US, but today is also a celebration of International Happiness Day.

Are you happy?  Have you got spring in your steps?

Me too 🙁

Not a happy bunny!  Woke up this morning tired from lack of sleep to a greyish gloomy day.

It was so dark at 8:00 am I had to turn the lights on.

Come on spring……


 

London Sunsets

Sunset over NW London 30 June 2013

Sunset over NW London 30 June 2013

London Sunsets

As I have blogged before, 2014 the English weather up to mid-August has been generally wonderful. Now in early September after a couple of weeks of mainly rainy wet weather we may have an extended hot summer (also called an Indian summer here) with sun and high temperatures for the time of year as Autumn is near.   London sunsets can be amazing whether viewed from tall buildings open grounds etc.
 When I worked at Tintagel House, located along the Albert Embankment SE London, near the Houses of Parliament, the sunset views from our office windows  overlooking  the River Thames and the iconic Battersea Power station in the near distance  were wonderful.
Astronomy is a keen interest of mine, I like to watch the sky day or night!
 
Jean & I have seen some wonderful sunsets.
One of the best sunsets in the world to witness is over Manila Bay in the Philippines. I had this privilege in 2013.
Sunset over Manila Bay Jan 2013
 Manila Bay The Sunset of sunsets!
The best view we get locally is over the allotment gardens, simply called an allotment, which is a community garden( mainly used to grow vegetables etc), for the neighbourhood to use, especially those with no gardens of their own.
 
Our local allotment is across the road from where we live.  As no tall buildings are near it, there is quite a wide expanse of western sky to view.
 
I like looking at clouds and find the many shapes, sizes and colours fascinating.   The best clouds are seen when not a grey leaden cloudy over cast sky with cloud covering all the sky, but the clouds that compete with a blue sky at dawn during the day and at sunset. When I see what looks like a potential scenic sunset, I get my trusty camera and wander across the road and walk down to the allotment.
 
Sometimes, Jean has come with me when we take our lively and lovely terrier Diesel for his evening walk.  This summer, I have been able to photograph some fantastic sunsets with amazing cloud formations, colours and hues that could have been created by a great artist, in this case Mother Nature herself!  

Winter, Not Quite of Discontent

Winter, Not Quite of Discontent
DSCN9450

This winter is not too bad, touch wood.  It has been rather mind.  I went outside in my t-shirt and I did not freeze to death! 🙂  I supposed it was not for very long.  Just throwing some garbage in the rubbish bin.  It was a dash out, dash in back!

I hope it will continue to be mild especially around my birthday, which is end of this month.  I wish for my birthday to be nicely warm, though end of the month and first week of February are when snow falls due.  Hope not this year!

I need the runway to be clear so our flight to the Philippines is not delayed.

I saw and read news that the US has so much snow.  The White House in Washington DC,  has never been so white; so wintry white.  I hope not too many people are suffering because of this extreme cold.

Wrap up and keep warm.

Don’t let winter blues beat you down.

The weather outside is not frightful (in London)

The weather outside is not frightful (in London), photo by PH Morton

The weather outside is not frightful (in London), photo by PH Morton

The weather has been unseasonable not cold.  It is quite warm for this time of year. In fact this might be one of the warmest December in ages.   I was quite comfortable walking outside our front door into our bins area in my short sleeves.

The weather outside is not frightful (in London)

Christmas was wonderful as well.  No sign of snow whatsoever till now.

This was of course in London.  But in some part of the country, it was a different story.  Thousands of people did not spend Christmas at their respective homes because of flooding.  We are talking about ‘Philippine type of flooding’ here.  Quite shocking really.   Water came inside houses ruining everything it touched, which means, unfortunately, that building and content insurance will be sharply going up for everyone.  Payout to the victims has to come out from somewhere!!!   I do feel for the people who are victims of the flood, however at this rate I think it is really time to change insurance provider and look for a more competitive rate elsewhere.

Because of this warm weather, Peter is getting nervous about how hot summer can become and has been researching getting air-conditioner put in.  I thought a Dyson will do the business but not in Peter’s book.  He does not want the air to just continue circulating inside.  He wants the type where it would blow outside, wouldn’t that contribute to global warming?!!!

The Dyson air-con/ fan looks clean-cut and rather snazzy.  I love it.  Well see…

I hope the weather do not get horrid at the end of January or early February.  We are flying to the Philippines and I can see delay at Heathrow if this happens. No, no, no.  Please let us have some snow in middle of Feb instead of in fact nothing at all.  Let’s have them on Christmas 2016.  Perfect!