We had our first proper rain yesterday. All day, soaking, deluging rain and then more today. Such a relief and so much cooler.
I am realising that there is a socially vital, unsung job that it is critical to working road networks. Drain unblockers. I have never seen anyone systematically going around clearing out leaf debris and rubbish from street drains, but without that person roads flood. I bet the Victorians had an army of these important people. I've been looking for the past few months at our local drains and they are entirely solid with leaf mulch. So yesterday, naturally, roads were a foot deep in rain water. What else do they imagine is going to happen if nobody attends to it regularly?
My great grandfather was a road man he was incharge of a gang of men who were given a set of local roads they were responsible for. Clearing the verges, digging ditches clearing the snow in winter etc each man was given a length each day that he had to compleet.
"A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in."
Breezy, fresh although still around the 19 - 20 degrees, occasional short showers and sunshine. Still the 40 + pots need watering, the plants are drooping. Our well is still on the danger zone, so daren't use the automatic irrigation system for the pots and topping up the garden pond as there is virtually no water in the well.
We had three hours of solid rain this morning thank goodness but I really hope we get more soon. Fire - you'll be pleased to know that we unblock the 3 or 4 road drains near us whenever we see them getting blocked. There's lots of trees in the lane. A few years ago the lane turned into a raging torrent, swept round the corner and down the hill, then flooded the main road into the village. The irony was that 20/30 years ago, after a similar incident, they'd installed a flood warning siren, completely forgotten about it and nobody knew how to activate it. Our area's not called Six Springs by accident.
Heavy rain yesterday and today in E Susses. Sadly today it came with a side helping of gusty winds. Already seen a few Monarda stems which have bitten the dust.
@Fire, the lack of road sweeping and drain clearing is a direct result of the reduction in central government grants to local councils. When I was a kid I remember watching the drain cleaning machine (which we called "the elephant"), sucking out each road drain in turn, keeping them all running freely. The road sweeper went round regularly too, whether there was debris or not. Now, in our town - which floods regularly - the local council only send out the drain cleaners in response to a resident reporting a blocked drain... so I've "adopted" a short stretch of road where I clear rubbish off the drain grids whenever I'm passing.
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
Very wise, Liri. Our local area put in some rain gardens in the last year for an area that floods a lot. It costs thousands to create, but we discover it only works if one person with a stick keeps the culvert clear. The council never do it. I have taken to poking at the drains with a stick to clear the leaves. But it seems sooooo short sighted of the local authorities to let all the roads flood for want of a stick (poetically speaking).
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Fire - you'll be pleased to know that we unblock the 3 or 4 road drains near us whenever we see them getting blocked. There's lots of trees in the lane. A few years ago the lane turned into a raging torrent, swept round the corner and down the hill, then flooded the main road into the village. The irony was that 20/30 years ago, after a similar incident, they'd installed a flood warning siren, completely forgotten about it and nobody knew how to activate it. Our area's not called Six Springs by accident.
Back lawn looks almost green