Saturday 7 January 2012


Low Tide02:45 (0.90m)
High Tide09:13 (2.20m)
Low Tide14:54 (0.90m)
High Tide21:28 (2.40m)
Sea temperature: 6.4
Sea conditions: high and calm with swell
Weather: sunny (once the sun rose) with clear sky
Joined by: no one
Topics of conversation:
The tides - having been flooded for 3 days now the village is in a bit of a mess, with rubbish from the sea, the river and the marsh fetching up everywhere. It all looks so beautiful when you can't see it but as the water rises it brings last seasons detritus from its hidden depths in the reeds, as well as the usual sea flotsam. DK and I have been so confused lately with all these 'ad hoc' tides and as I was approaching the beach I ran into Village Elder No.1 on his morning walk, so I asked him if he could explain. Don't know why I hadn't asked him before, he made such sense. To digest: This week we have a combination spring tides (this does not mean it's spring but that there is a big difference between high and low) and a full moon on Monday. This means the water will be high regardless but the fluctuation is due to strong north westerly winds bringing a surge from the Atlantic waters around the top of Scotland and when this combines with water from the Channel coming up the east of the country and going into the Thames Estuary it can both exaggerate and adjust the tides on our little stretch of the coast. Last night it had taken quite a chunk of shingle from the beach as well as going over the defence at the end of the marsh. Village Elder No. 1 was explaining that the older generation used to read the waters by flotsam and jetsam too but that no one could predict how it will happen in the future, especially not the Sea Defence Committee! He also said he was no expert and that I could find the real experts in the church yard. I vow to learn more about it.


I'm still not well, it all seems to have hit me at once so I didn't swim but it was lovely to see DK and the sea, as well as allowing Willow and Mable their morning play. Again I'm playing fast and loose with DK's catalogue... sorry!

The Pirate is off on his annual retreat with The Buddhist (who was previously mentioned) and so won't be joining us for a little while, he will be missed. Their dear friend died last week and The Pirate's Wife is trying to sort out her estate. They have run into similar red tape to my situation when my Father died - she wanted her body to be used for medical science and had made arrangements for this but the state has called for post mortem inquest as she had had a fall and was in a nursing home - the result being that her wishes cannot be fulfilled. It's such a terrible thing for those of us remaining, when their last wishes cannot be attended to. My Father had not signed an 'upgrade' form, which meant he wasn't able to go to the Cambridge Human Anatomy Centre, they were as sad as we were and tried to help but all our hands were tied. My Mother and I have ensured that all our paperwork is up to date and as the secretary at Cambridge requested, we'll try not to go under a bus!

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