It's very very wet in North Norfolk

As you know we have a stream that runs through our front garden. What a quaint feature, it is something to talk about, even show off about sometimes. I mean, how many people have their own stream!!?

Waking to heavy rain at 7, I got up and made tea. At 8 i got up, thinking that i was going to struggle to get dry the washing in my machine, put on late yesterday, never mind the whites i haven't done yet! After breakfast, I started the ironing. In the conservatory, the pounding echoed through the house, and I had to turn the radio up full volume. Then I noticed a drain gushing water into nowhere, plus my water butt was overflowing. To cut a long story short, I put all my waterproofs on, and went out to see what I could do. With a bucket and my watering can, I filled them and carried them round to pour into the stream. I did this about 10 times, then as I was wet anyway, I took Bracken for his walk. Jon and Henry were at archery (inside!) When I got back, my big yellow trug was full of water, it seemed to be raining heavier with water escaping over the side of the gutter, and the water butt continued to overflow. I cant imagine how many gallons of water fell today, and couldn't help feeling I should have been able to catch some and reuse it somewhere. Anyway I tried emptying the water butt again, but as soon as I filled one bucket and carried it to the front to empty it, the butt was full again. In the space of about 2 minutes a whole bucket full of water was going in to the butt. After a dozen more runs, the boys turned up and helped me. Jon attached a hose to the water butt, and although it could only drain into the garden, it was better than on the patio. He also fitted a down pipe and cleaned the gutter on the garage. Panic over - or so I thought.

While looking out of the bedroom window about an hour later, I was shocked to see how high the stream was. We have 4 deep concrete steps going down to the stream, but they were covered and the water was running down the road like a river. I can see now how villages flood. It eventually stopped raining at about 5. At my last check the stream was already receding. Phew. So, as I said at the beginning, how lovely to have a stream in the garden...in the summer!

I spent some time doing my Archers jigsaw. I need to finish it as I got a special as a present for our anniversary that I want to start. Then I did some stuff with beads and buttons.

I'm now going to have a bath, before the sunday drama on BBC 1 at 9. Cant remember what it is called!!