Wet, Wet, Wet!

Posted on by Ann Mackay

NB: A note for WordPress Reader users – you need to click on the title of the post again to come out of the reader and go to the post itself. This allows you to see the whole of the top photograph. (Otherwise you may see just a tiny section!)

It is raining, it has been raining, and there is more rain to come…

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you will probably have noticed that I frequently mention that we have a dry climate here in the east of England. Drought is something I worry about in the garden and I try not to have many plants that require moist ground.

Not raindrops but melted frost drops from last winter.

This week has felt quite strange because it has rained and rained. In fact, this summer was unusually rainy and our grass even stayed green. I’ve read that the heavier rainfall may be a part of global warming (because warm air can hold more moisture) but this does feel unexpected.

Because it has been so wet, I thought it appropriate to post some watery pictures. However, I have a confession to make…they aren’t raindrops, but drops of melted frost photographed last winter. (It has been much too wet and grey for me to want to take the camera outside.)

We have been lucky here. Storm Babet hasn’t caused much disruption. But elsewhere, especially in Scotland, people have been forced to leave flooded homes and much damage has been done. Sometimes the forces of Nature can be thoroughly alarming!

The golden oat (Stipa gigantea) looks at its best when covered in frost, even if that frost has melted.
Unknown's avatar

Published by Ann Mackay

Photographer, mixed-media art adventurer and completely daft about plants.......

27 thoughts on “Wet, Wet, Wet!”

    1. I’ve only once seen that, Steve. Frost on fennel seed heads must have defrosted late in the day and then frozen again overnight. It looked lovely for a short time, but that was many years ago and I haven’t seen it happen since.

      Like

  2. Grim, isn’t it. We watched the BBC News at 10pm yesterday and were shocked to see footage of floods in our local area. We live up the hill, and although it had been Wet Wet Wet here for days we had no idea how chaos was unfolding just a mile away on the banks of the Derwent, and in our local city of Derby. Thankfully we’re OK; hopefully you are too. Take care.

    PS It’s just after 8am, and I’m listening to the news on Radio 4 as I write this. Just as I was about to click >send< the newsreader revealed there's been a warning of "Threat to Life" here in Derbyshire. Woe is me!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I’ve just looked at local news for around us and was amazed to see areas affected nearby. Like you, we are slightly uphill and now feeling very lucky to be where we are! I hope that the waters soon subside and that the ‘threat’ in your area is lifted. Take care!

      Liked by 1 person

      2. Well, we’re lucky just here and only have sodden ground, but the village next to us had flooded roads – however that was nothing compared to the deep flooding elsewhere. Those badly flooded areas certainly had too much!

        Like

  6. Such beautiful images! I suspect that melting frost makes them more possible than rain would. At least here, rain usually comes with some degree of wind: enough to send those droplets flying. Both are appealing, but I especially like the first. The drops truly look like crystal!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you – I’m glad you liked these! Yes, the melted frost does give a better opportunity for photography. The drops tend to stay for longer, there’s more of them and they also have a bit of texture where they’re still a little frozen. I’ll be on the lookout for more of them this winter. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  7. Your photos are so beautiful, Ann, thank you for showing them. No matter if they are rain droplets or melted frost, these brilliant little jewels are wonderful.
    Sorry to hear that some areas received too much rain. Wish we could assure that everybody gets just the right amount.

    Liked by 1 person

  8. Exquisite raindrop jewels! Really lovely photographs you got of them. So glad to hear that Storm Babet hasn’t caused much disruption in your area. Yes, indeed, nature can get quite alarming! In our area, we find ourselves thinking how to adapt and plan for wildfires.

    Liked by 1 person

  9. I love to photograph rain on my plants. These images look great – not sure I could tell the difference of melted frost from raindrops. I love these sort of little world fantasy looks inside the drops!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you! 🙂 I think the difference is that you get more detail in the drops – a sort of texture – from the fact that there’s still a little bit of ice in there. It makes them look a bit more detailed than plain water.

      Like

  10. Liking the icy globules. Wet wet wet was what I said to my friend while out on a soggy path yesterday. Luckily Babet didn’t pay my valley a full on visit, we just got the swishing of her skirts as she rushed past, but monsoon-like rain. Glad you got no serious damage.

    Liked by 1 person

Leave a reply to Steve Schwartzman Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.