Peewits and white horses

What a contrast from yesterday morning's crystal clarity and views of snowy mountains. This is the view north from the outskirts of Morecambe looking across the wind-whipped waters of Morecambe Bay into the opacity of an incoming storm. The flock of peewits were struggling against the wind, being blown hither and thither.

I was in Morecambe early to deliver the Jazz for what proved to be an astronomically, eye-wateringly expensive service. But I was still innocent of that when this photo was taken as I paused my drive along the road to Hest Bank and thence to work in Kendal.

On a wild, wet day that followed an even wilder, wetter night we spent four hours this afternoon in a meeting discussing, of all things, drought planning. But who knows what next summer will bring, the reservoirs are full now, but here in the north-west droughts can develop rapidly in the spring and summer, and wildlife sites are threatened by the emergency measures needed to guarantee the public water supply. We are trying to plan against that eventuality now and put in place the safeguards before it happens.