Category Archives: weather

Puddles, Sodden Leaves and Rotting Roots in Albert Park

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Walk in Park
Rain continues to fall in Abingdon. There were puddles at the sides of roads, including Park Road.
Walk in Park
The persistent rainfall had created a larger puddle inside one park entrance.
Walk in Park
There was a deeper soakaway outside the other entrance.
Walk in Park
Sodden leaves hung from trees.
Walk in Park
Although I could not see rotting tree roots underground, something has given food to the toadstools that have recently risen in clumps. Somebody saw me taking this picture and asked me if they were edible.

I said, ‘I wouldn’t risk it.’

Last Saturday (Abingdon Cuts Plastic) This Saturday (Guide Dogs in the rain)

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Against Plastic
Last Saturday Abingdon Cuts Plastic were having a small clean-up. Numbers were restricted, because of Covid-19, to 6 in canoes and 6 on land.

They were doing it as part of the Surfers Against Sewage 6 week Plastic Protest, which started on 5th September and ends on 18th October. SAS are lobbying MPs to include in the Environment Bill, that all businesses set plastic reduction targets. They need as many people as possible to show they support this idea.
Against Plastic
Also they want people to photograph “evidence” of branded rubbish that’s ended up as litter, and send it to SAS. Instagram has lots of #returntooffender pictures.

Anne, who sent me the pictures, told me that they found:
* lots of Budweiser bottles in the Abbey Grounds
* 6 sackfuls of non-recyclable waste
* 4 large sackfuls of recyclable waste
The most unusual find was an ancient car horn.
Against Plastic
It rained a lot of yesterday and it has rained a lot of today and the forecast has a high probability of rain for most of next week. Cars had their lights on at midday today.
Against Plastic
Despite the rain, Guide Dogs went ahead with a stall on Abingdon Market Place. New Guide Dog training did stop for a couple of months at the start of the pandemic and restarted in June. This did mean a longer wait for some people needing a replacement Guide Dog.

Hoover Bags and Silhouettes

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Silhouettes
Today was another day of blue skies and summer heat. Hoover Bags have a prominent position at the Monday Market in Abingdon.
Silhouettes
An ambulance had blocked a FedEx Lorry. Life-saving was making commerce wait – like during the lockdown.
Silhouettes
This evening was warm and muggy. I went for a walk and became aware of the bright clouds and silhouettes as I passed the railings near Waitrose.
Silhouettes
I started taking pictures of silhouettes – including this silhouetted tree without leaves in the Albert Park.
Silhouettes
Another tree had an early autumnal look because of the heat.
Silhouettes
It led me to my final silhouette down Spring Road by the cemetery.
Silhouettes
The sky bloomed orange for some time after that.

After a cool start to June we are having some hot days

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Hottest Day of the year
Temperature went above 31 C as an alert was put in place telling people to take extra care in the sun.
Hottest Day of the year
I wonder about the risks of swimming in the River Thames. But I do know that not swallowing water reduces the risks of getting Weil’s disease.
Hottest Day of the year
It was a lovely sunny day. Whether that will help stop the spread of the Coronavirus no longer seems sure. The southern states of the USA,  and Mexico and Brazil are still experiencing a rise in cases, and they get a lot of sun.

Government advice about bubbles, and numbers of people in groups, and whether you can hug people and go indoors with them is becoming very confusing, and changing by the day, and so we are better to stay alert. We, and not the government, are responsible for our own health.
Hottest Day of the year
W H Smiths re-opened today in Abingdon. A lot more businesses including pubs and restaurants and hairdressers can open from July 4th. However tattoo shops, nail and beauty salons, and gyms still have to wait for their go ahead.

Nail salons and tattoo shops were wearing PPE before the rest of us. It is ironic that they are at the end of the queue.

Dark Clouds over Abingdon Bridge

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Abingdon Bridge
We went for a walk on Monday evening, and I took a picture of Abingdon Bridge. There was sunshine behind and dark clouds ahead. North Abingdon had a downpour, and South Abingdon got little or no rain.
Abingdon Bridge
On the walk we saw that Fabulous Flowers were set to reopen on Tuesday with a flower display over the door.
Abingdon Bridge
Parking rules must be tightening up again. On Lombard Street, all the parked cars had a Police Notice stuck to the windscreen.