EX MOOSE DAY.

And yes this post is a day behind and you will understand why shortly. We left eventually left Wales after heavy morning rain had prevented packing up the car with all the necessities for a longish stay in Fenland. It really was too wet to pad back and forth to the car with bags of clothes, Christmas presents (as yet unwrapped) and of course all the things needed to take the mad mutt away on holiday. But we eventually drove away (the Rover behaving well, in fact she seemed to relish being out on the open road and later practically purring with pleasure along A roads and motorways.
I drove up to see Dad last year on Christmas Day and I have to say, it is a good day to drive long distance, for one the roads are not heavily congested, generally clear of heavy haulage and for the most part free of idiots. One can actually drive and due to lack of traffic, enjoy the scenery that one passes whilst progressing up northwards.
"Northwards?" one may ask, when the final destination is Cambridgeshire. "But surely Cambridge is in the east of U.K!" Well yes it is but there is no way I am going to head M4 ... M25, those who know U.K roads will appreciate this. An alternative is to angle up through Oxford ... scenic but speed limitingly slow, sooo .... It's up through the lovely counties of Monmouth & over the border into Herefordshire (fond memories) and then around Ross on Wye to join the M5 heading towards Coventry.
The sun was out in full blaze and after the rain there were rainbows gleaming everywhere.
The scenery really is lovely but something I saw time and time again on the journey was the evidence of the past months of heavy rain. Whole fields just flooded, some with fences and hedgerows barely visible above the water levels that at times mirrored the cumulus filled skies up above. I stopped at a lay by to let the dog out and photographed this ...

The water was so high one could only just see the tops of the trees forming field boundaries. I witnessed sights  like these time and time again during my journey. But another sight I saw that I was unable to photograph was a sight that struck me in a particular way because of the date. Normally I would see old "Old Man's Beard" a wild native Clematis, also known as "Travellers Joy." which was very apt yesterday because the fluffy seeding heads spread along the bare winter branches and in the bright winter sunlight looked indeed like Christmas garlands for mile after mile. Sadly there were no convenient places to stop and take any photographs of this phenomenon. I would see them for mile after mile when there were no lay-byes and ... when there was a place to stop ... yep ... no old man's beard to photograph. Bloomin typical! Still the daft dog enjoyed exploring the various roadside stops where I was able to stop and have a have a bit to eat.
   But time was getting on and at the half way point I was spot on with my timing. Yahoo! I would reach Cambs with day light to spare and be able to enjoy the sight of the fenland as the sun was beginning to set ... I hadn't allowed for the buggeration factor gremlins.

And no ... this time they were leaving the Rover alone.

My menopausal Rover was enjoying reliving youthful speed, with her fuel injectors fully jetted out, she was sneakily creeping up past the official speed limit, with so little effort I didn't notice immediately, she was purring with power, I just hope no speed cameras captured her sleek, youthful profile on camera, she was just loving the drive, so was I.

As the afternoon started to draw to a sky dramatic close and we were surrounded by dramatic cumulus clouds in varying shades of rain heavy grey to sunset blushing pink. At one roundabout I saw this and just had to pull over on a virtually deserted road and ...

take a photograph ... (it reminded me of my RAF youth)

By now the skies as you can clearly see in the above were darkening, threateningly. So much for reaching Dad's before daylight faded, and then I got slightly lost, missing a viral turning. Light rain and low light made the small local signs hard to read but I eventually got onto the right road which lead through a small village named Earith. A 30 mph speed limit meant I could appreciate the efforts of locals to brighten up the place with Christmas decorations shining bright in the darkening light, but light enough to notice the signs of flooded fields glimpsed between the gaps in the houses. "They must have suffered badly." I thought, feeling sorry for the inhabitants and then I reached a low point in the road ... where in the headlights I saw a very solid, impassable, bright yellow barrier!!!

The only direct road through to Dad's was totally flooded!

Thanks to a very friendly native who in true Christmas spirit let me use the family phone to ring home and also gave me the two alternative routes ... (both tortuous and long).

I took the A road alternative and that is when the rain really came pelting down hard. The wipers at full speed, barely cleared the windscreen, suddenly the reasonably clear roads were full of idiots driving without due care and attention, but ... I eventually made it.

What a joy and relief to turn into the drive at Dad's and be met by a wonderful sight ...

electric candles flickering a homely welcome in every single window and a huge warm hug! Not only that but our Christmas meal of superior quality beef steak and an excellent red wine, was ... to say the least, deeply appreciated (by me if not the daft, travel weary dog). He at least had the company of two rather delightful Dacschund ladies). We made it!