As predicted the weather became colder but clearer this week and the dreaded rain was limited to showers once Sunday was past. Better for all of us, even the sheep in the neighbouring field who gather with their young ones in an area around a wooden electricity pylon, which seems to be used as a kind of crèche.

Meanwhile the stable ladies next door in the racehorse yard had wrapped up well to lead the horses out to the fields. At this point in the year, time in the fields is precious – and again the lack of rain helps to keep them from getting completely boggy, although the upside is that there is much more grass than is usual in January.

Job done and it’s back to the yard to warm up.

Last week I showed some views from the top of the lane where I live. Below is the bottom part of the lane looking back up the track. There is a house on both sides of the lane here and then nothing until the stables which are halfway up, just around the double bend, the beginning of which is visible at the top of this picture.

And here is a view from the first of those bends showing the Folly that lives in the field with the sheep, right outside my front door. There is something about a cold winter’s day bright sunlight that seems to sharpen photographs such as this in a special way.

Following the mildest winter for many years, the first day of the New Year continued in the same vein – walking the dog with just a sweatshirt over a tee-shirt was enough to keep warm. Here are some views of the lane that I live on, taken from the end of my driveway. The first, above, shows a view down the lane – the curve is where the road goes past a stables where a few locals keep their horses – oh and Lottie the dog is, as I guess she will be repeatedly, standing in the frame! The second shot is back up to the end of the driveway and showing the style that carries the footpath over the fields beyond. Note the rubbish bins which my neighbour had kindly brought back up from the road – it’s a two thirds of a mile round trip to put the rubbish out for me!

The following morning, the heavens opened and kept going for the best part of 36 hours. By Sunday (3rd) lunchtime, a (very) small idea of what people up North are experiencing became clear. It is normally not possible to see water trickling down the drain that runs alongside the driveway but that day it was a continuous torrent.

Oh and look – Lottie’s there again – getting her legs in on the act! And who would be a horse? Tommy, who lives with his mate Flash between a field on the other side of the lane and my paddock, looks suitably unimpressed by the state of the ground.

And, as a final illustration, here’s the state of the drainage ditch that runs under the lane about a third of the way down – the volume of water coming through the various feeder ditches has completely overwhelmed the culvert under the lane and flooded the verges.

The weather people are threatening real winter next week – that would actually be a blessing – I think we would all rather have it cold and crisp than warm, wet and muddy. (Tommy certainly would!)

A Year in a Lane – Introduction

Most people live in a road – they have neighbours on either side, and opposite, and tarmac outside their property.

I live in a lane.

To be precise, it is a third of a mile long gravel track leading from the road that runs through the village. There are 5 houses on this track and I live at the top sandwiched between a small racehorse stable yard and a farm. It is an idyllic spot and I wonder how long it can continue as it is now in the 21st century. I hope it will be many years yet.

Don’t misunderstand me, everything changes and evolves – sometimes for the better, sometimes not. However, I think it is important that this lane’s place in history in the early part of this century is recorded somewhere.

This is my attempt to do so – to show life in the lane over a year, 2016 to be precise. I plan to publish a few pictures each week to show life in the lane over the course of the year. I hope it provides some interest to anyone watching!

This blog is dedicated to Sue and Willow.

As a qualified freelance journalist I have always enjoyed writing articles and have had a few published.

I am currently widowed with kids, animals and living in a beautiful spot in rural East Dorset.

I would like to publish the story of how we (semi)rural folk live – we hear so much about life in the big towns and cities that I would hope people would be interested in other lifestyles that are closer to nature and impacted by different aspects of life.

A blog and articles heading out to the world soon – hopefully generating some interest.