Nothing like your own furniture.
Yesterday we were at the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust (Jersey zoo as I used to know it) and it tipped it down. Add a few thunderclaps and most of the animals were decidedly absent, sensibly keeping dry in their lovely indoor home while we, their daily entertainment, became rather wet outside.
The weather was not much better through dinner later as we sat watching the waves crashing over the sea wall onto the hotel windows.
Later the howling was really worrying me so I looked up the met charts, a great plus for the iPad while travelling, and was not too happy with what I saw. In fact I didn't sleep much at all after that. It was worsening.
I told my worries to John in the morning, as he slept through like a baby of course, and he interpreted the charts from the airport for me. We were flying home in the tiny little Jetstream today, it only seats 19 and is as light as a feather. John had a ppl until a few years ago and used to fly himself here, there and everywhere so then he then promptly told me wonderful tales of bad weather and near misses he had had whilst flying light aircraft. (Don't ask him about the one with the wheel not really falling off!!!)
Darling man. And I usually love flying.
He did have me Google the aerials of the runways and explained wind shear and approaches and all the precautions. I just reasoned that the pilot and co pilot wanted to land safely as well and they would be doing their best.
Take off was good. Flight over was fairly good too. Until we reached landmass where the clouds had built up thickly over the Isle of Wight. John had told me about flying through the canyons of the clouds before but he forgot to warn me of the joyous thrills of 'falling off a cliff' of clouds in a very small aeroplane.
Southampton approached and we all (there were 8 passengers) could see through the cockpit to the runway ahead of us. And then not. And then back again. And then on the other side. And then gone again. Oh joy. John was grinning and decidedly gagging to go up front and have a proper look. I think I was hanging onto him far too tightly for him to move or he would have gone.
In my head I kept reminding Mother that if she wanted me to keep looking after her garden and not make the dogs homeless it would be rather nice if she could see Her way to letting up on the wind at the last minute. She could then blow and howl and rain all she wanted even if it is St Swithens day.
She did let up, just briefly, and we were down.
I didn't kiss the tarmac but I did hug the bonnet of the car when we got there.
We picked up the dogs and arrived home to lots of post and parcels. One parcel was the Jinny Beyer Quilters Album of Patchwork Patterns which I have been after for some time. Amazon finally decided to catch up. Also a Customs notice. I assume this is for my EQ7 upgrade. Did anyone else have the charge? I'm always caught by them. It would be cheaper to fly to the States and buy direct. Also The Quilt Life magazine and some late shoes I had ordered for the trip. Plenty of reading to be doing for a while along with catching up and dieting.
I found I had taken this photo of a poster of the letter regarding the knitting effort. It was for airmen not soldiers. (Don't forget you can click to make any photos bigger).
Looking forward now to bed time and my really squishy feather pillow that I always miss the most. There is nothing like your own bed.
