Playing Catch up

We haven’t had any rain for a couple of days (not that I’m complaining!) ,  yet the water level here has risen by around two feet today.
We are lucky in the marina as our pontoons rise and fall with the water, but we are forever playing catch-up after heavy rain or dry spells as it is some time before anything is reflected here.
There is a very large oak tree at the end of our pontoon which is usually well above the water line, as are two broken thinner stumps between the back bank and the pontoon itself. They are excellent gauges for novices like me that the water is rising.
In fact, the tree looks an awful lot closer to the pontoon when it’s partially submerged!
Also the angle of the gantry changes, so the higher the water, the easier it is on the knees, which is great for both of us.
Walking along the lock this afternoon, the water level on both sides as well as inside it was the same, the first time we’ve actually seen it like this. We also saw debris (large branches and what looked like a small tree trunk) floating downriver, accidents waiting to happen should they get tangled in props or hit by outboard motors.
Not so long ago when I was out walking the dog, I noticed that the metal walkways along the river bank were several inches underwater as were some of the private moorings on the other side. The water was almost level with the concrete pavement, and it is easy to see why flooding can occur so frequently.
Sometimes as I look out across our pontoon and over the river bank, it appears that the water in the river itself is higher than we are. This is an optical illusion of course, but a little strange nonetheless.
Also, when the water level is high, the amber and green bands on the depth marker by the fuel jetty are obscured, and when anywhere in ‘the red’, it is dangerous for you to take your boat out.
We have been told that the coldest time here is between 17th January and 17th February.
Passing one of the experienced long timers on the pontoon today, he happily informed me that not only was the water up, but it was freezing as well. Last week was obviously a good test drive for us then, and we survived it pretty well.

On the canals it is slightly different, as there is no tidal change or likelihood of flooding. Different levels in the landscape are accessed by locks, some manned, most not, so later this year is going to see some interesting events…………………..
The Thirty Nine Steps has nothing on this!

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