18 June: It rained at last!. and hard. 30 Days Wild

 It rained hard in the afternoon and harder in the evening. 

I am so pleased that the local farmers won't be so worried about their crops and newly planted trees.

The road drain on the opposite side of the road to me immediately turned into a fountain again, and the water runs down that side of the road making it nice and clean. - in spite of many visits in the past by the authorities to fix it. I wonder - maybe the pipe in the 20metres lower down the hill from the drain is just not wide enough to take all the water coming down the hill from Langcliffe.

I went round the back of my house to look at the roof -  (My back garden is at roof level)  The gutters were overflowing.. at my house and at two neighbours. Everyone's gutter comes to my downpipe - Which was not taking ANY water. I got my newly acquired long handled litter picker and fished out some leaves from the top of the pipe - A little water now went down.   Was the pipe blocked lower down? I went inside the house and got a longer pole with a sort of point, whose length can be adjusted.

To my great relief - I poked gently and whoosh - the leaves got washed down and all the water went down the top part of the  pipe, down to the drain below and only bit little leaked out at the joint.  Relief, satisfaction and slightly improved self esteem and confidence.  I should have tried clearing it earlier!!