The eye of the storm !

I am sure you will be aware of just how viscous the wind has been of late. Over a 100 m.p.h. gales have been recorded in Scotland. Trees lay felled as if they were but match sticks. Lorries overturned on motorways, with a high count of structional devastation across the land.

For a while now I have been hoping to capture some dramatic pictures of monster waves battering the rocks somewhere on the coast. So checking the high tide times, I was disappointed to learn that high tide time for yesterday was 11-30. It was already afternoon 😦 However a lady friend of mine (without benefits) called me. So, on impulse, we arranged to take a drive down to  South Gare Pier

at the entrance to the river Tees. it is a favourite place for people to do a spot of fishing.

As we drove toward Redcar the sun was shining, but looking over toward Hartlepool a huge dark threatening cloud could be seen, looking very ominous indeed. We arrived at our destination and decided to smoke a cigarette before venturing out into the cold and windy unknown. Within moments a few drops of rain hit the windscreen. Suddenly an Erie darkness fell and the heavens opened with vengeance . My friend and I were caught in the eye of a storm. The screaming wind rocked the car from side to side, the rain drops were crashing onto the roof of the car , making a sound as if they were pebbles . My friend commented “that she thought it a little frightening but exciting”.  I smiled !

Soon a small patch of clear blue appeared in the sky, the rain eased and the wind abated to a degree. The storm had passed.

We left the car and walked toward the Gare. On the way an Oyster catcher  Past by, they fly so fast I was lucky to capture this shot of him/her.

 

 Mmmmm…  no mountainous waves battering the rocks,no spray shooting high into the sky 😦  We walked passed the spot where two fishermen had been washed into the sea last year. The faded and dead wreaths were still pinned to the wall where one of the unfortunate men had lost his life.  I decided not to take an image of the wreaths.

 

We walked to the very end of the Gare, not one fisherman in sight. This was understandable considering the freezing cold wind that whipped across the pier. We were on the south side  and so were sheltered from the worst of the wind. But as I walked to round the point to face north, the wind stopped me in my tracks and pushed me backwards a few paces. It was obvious that it would have been impossible to have stood there a few hours earlier, when the tide was high. Conditions would have been far more dangerous then.

  Freezing cold and shivering I took a few quick shots and my friend and I headed back to the warmth and comfort of the car. I had already noticed another ominous black cloud approaching.

No sooner had we lit another cigarette,  the heavens opened again. It appeared to both of us that the weather had kindly provided us with a window of opportunity to take a quick walk round the point. Hopefully one day I shall capture some dramatic pictures of the raging sea .   The picture below is one I took as I was sailing out in search of the Cod with Terry some time ago. It was a lovely dawn.

I would like take this opportunity to acknowledge the kindness shown by my friend, without whom I would not have been able to produce this post. 

           Thank you “my friend”