Since late last night, great swathes of the UK have been experiencing thunderstorms like we rarely see. It’s all been rather scary. Many years ago we got caught on the moor with the dogs in similar weather and had to race home with lightening landing all around us. We were all terrified and the dogs have never got over it. Lola is so scared of thunder that she thinks the safest place to be is inside mummy (me). The first bout came at about 2am and the first I knew was when a puppy was trying to burrow into my tummy. She ended up wedging herself in between us trembling until it passed. That pattern was repeated throughout the night and today, the first rumble and she’s attaching herself to me.

It’s now 4pm and we’re under siege again. I’m on the sofa trying to calm my little girl down and I look up to spot a huge storm in the birdbath. Massive raindrops are plopping into the water and bouncing back out as if it came as a surprise to them to find themselves in a bigger body of water. They are trying to escape a watery grave, which is odd given they are a part of it.

Our new patio (AKA the floor of our kitchen from before the roof was removed) has been transformed into a swimming pool.