Jobs done

Gorgeous early morning sunshine today with a few miles round the golf course before getting on with the day. I noticed a sidelight wasn't working on the car the other day and ordered a replacement bulb which arrived and proved easy to fit, a nice change! All working now.

It gave me the incentive to get some work done on the motorhome which needed the tyres checked for example. They all needed a fair bit of air, the first time I'd done them since before going to Europe last June. Should help with the petrol consumption on the Stornoway tri next month. I also checked the window leak is no longer an issue and it certainly appears that way for now. Good news. I did a little painting too, just one of the covers, in white because the plastic looks grey and worn. A bit of brightening up won't hurt.

Really enjoyed the Bob Dylan film, A Complete Unknown. Featured actors in the roles of Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger and Johnny Cash which made for a great soundtrack.

Getting out

I managed a run in the morning, the first of the year, dodging the last of the lingering showers on an overcast late January day. It is lovely to be able to be outside so much despite the still short hours of daylight. Juno and I had a few walks including one at Potterne after dropping Joseph home, the river full and cold looking.

Alison was at work so I had plenty of time to make a healthy tea followed by a still reasonably healthy fruit tart, apple, blueberries and grapes.

New Forest walk and ride

Between the storms Juno and I headed to Moyles Court and parked up for a few hours with the motorhome as a base. We had a lovely walk to start with accompanied by sunshine before I left Juno on the van and took off for a few miles on the bike. Nice to be back on the road bike, especially with the route being pretty flat.

I had a stop at the Royal Oak for a pint before riding back and driving to Queens Copse for another walk in the woods. 

There was time for a stop at Drusillas just a couple of miles from home for a final drink. Juno loved it and had plenty of room on her blanket in the motorhome whilst waiting for my return.

Stormy weather

Despite the storms, I have been out on the bike and enjoyed seeing signs of spring with the emerging shoots, especially of snowdrops, and the bird song with song thrush, starling, robins and great tits all in voice.

Joy is still in hospital but looks like she could be home later today. She fainted again yesterday having lost more blood yanking the dressing off her head wound, something that the dementia is not going to help with.

Poor Joy

Joy has been in hospital following a fall on Sunday evening which left her in quite a bad way, having really hit the side of her face near the eye. There was a lot of blood but the ambulance crew was at the care home before us even and got her settled in to hospital quickly. Alison and Sandra stayed with her and were able to leave her for some sleep at 3am. 

Having been told she would be able to be returned to the care home yesterday, Joy has been kept in as she now has covid, which may be part of why she fell(?) and is weaker. She is expected to recover but at 91 these things are not lightly shrugged off.

Piddlehinton walk

We met up with Sandra and Colin plus their dogs, Pixie and Flossie, to set out on a walk from the village centre, past the Millenium Park and into open countryside. It was a walk based around the samll river Piddle and we were passing along age old droving paths and more modern bridle ways for the entirety of the route, 4.5 miles in total.

There was a great view of a very dark coloured fox, almost black rather than the more usual red, and sightings of quite a number of roe deer. Toward the end of the walk we heard what sounded like a hunting horn being sounded and true enough, away in the distance was a fox hunt made up of 20 or so riders including the traditional red coat. 

They were too far from us to intervene in any way but they had no success in flushing out any foxes. Having the binoculars was very useful.

Once back at the pub we had a bit of lunch and a drink before heading home and an evening watching The Traitors.

A new year

We have avoided any rain this week again and the ground is drying nicely. Thoughts are turning to the garden and to the allotments. I have a new wheelbarrow to take to W next week, the first visit there since November, and I can check the broad beans and garlic that have already been in situ since October.

The film was ok on Tuesday, Nosferatu being very much the Dracula story, something I hadn't quite realised fully before seeing it. Very atmospheric and doing very well at the box office and critically too.

Much of the week has been spent in the motorhome which is very clean, inside and out. I took hours on the bodywork and have got it looking spick and span. The roof too has had a very good clean. Inside I have fixed the clock, sorted out both the dashboard heater and direction dial. The only thing that isn't working properly is the electric heating for when hooked up on a campsite. Given we are usually only doing that in summer, it isn't a concern. There is the gas fire still and that does a good job.

I have also been sorting the car out and getting other jobs like aerating the lawn done, taking advantage of what seems almost spring like weather. Still chilly though. 

Glen is back from Australia which he and Harri loved. Joseph has been unwell and has stayed home from school with us for the last couple of days.

Just one dog

With Glen and Harri back on Tuesday, Viv kindly offered to have Rag for the final two days of the trip which meant a short journey over to Woodgreen to drop him off, leaving us with just the one dog. Back to normal which is great given Juno is in season.

Later in the day we headed to Bournemouth to pick up Joe and the girls and went to watch Moana 2 at BH2. All very bright and lively, not quite the same level as the original but a nice afternoon of entertainment.

Monday has been a more usual kind of day although Alison has spent quite a bit of time with Joseph who has been off school with a bad chest. I took Juno out early and then drove Maria to college, stopping on the way back to walk Juno again. Back home there were several things to sort out online but once done I made some soup for lunch and did a litter pick before sorting out the log stack selecting some bigger bits that I am never going to use in the woodburner. I also did some work on the back lawn, using a tool from Robin's garage which you stand on to aerate the grass. It helps with drainage too.

Juno and I walked in the woods and then I did the tea, bean burgers, mash, cabbage, carrots and gravy. Joseph came up to have some healthy food and Bridie will be picking him up after finishing work. 

Maria is looking forward to new spin off season of Love Island. Cannot wait!

Village Hall

With Joy having moved into the care home some months ago, I decided to rejoin the village hall committee in the New Year, so I could get involved with the various activities again. It seemed a good idea until this morning with a 9am meeting lasting two hours which meant I missed out on a bit of a lie in with the dogs needing to go out first. Never mind. All was well and it will be good to get stuck in again.

We still have Rag with us, that day 16 and Glen isn't back until Tuesday. I'm hoping we can drop Rag with Harri's family on Monday as Tuesday is going to be a busy day

Still cold and I have lit the wood burner after our hour in the woods this afternoon. Nice and warm with the fire going well.

Lots of things on the to do list with the spring not too far away and Rag going home soon. I'm really looking forward to spending time on the motorhome now it has the new MoT.

Brrrr

A chilly week with frost every day but it has largely been dry following our flurry of snow on Wednesday. There are still patches today but the dogs have been very happy to get out.

Off to the garage again today with the motorhome having failed the MoT on Tuesday due to some corrosion under the bonnet. The windscreen washers also need a little work but should all be done today. There are a few things I am going to need to work on next week including the dashboard heater, a small leak with one of the windows and the need to give the roof a thorough clean. It's generally good but would benefit from a bit more effort in making it spick and span.

Rag

Back to the more usual routine this morning with an early dog walk followed by a drive to dance to drop Maria off, college is back and there were rehearsals immediately, even though Maria has been getting ready for the exam she completed yesterday. It doesn't stop but she is loving it all.

Alison went off to visit Joy who is 91 today and met up with Sandra at the care home whilst I gave the dogs a longer walk and did a litter pick before making soup for lunch and prepping tea which made good use of the leftover roast potatoes and wellington from yesterday.

Alison collected Maria and I did a bit of reading more dog walking and trumpet practice. It is making a difference to my playing, albeit slowly.

Tomorrow is really back into things more fully with Alison working and the motorhome in for MoT.

Contrast

The photo from yesterday shows the hard frost as I walked the dogs at Remedy Oak but this morning was a very different story with driving rain through the night and into the late morning. There were deep puddles, so a lot of rain in a relatively short time and the dogs were not impressed, especially when it meant some time in the utility room once back rather than getting into the warmth of the house.

Maria is at dance doing her jazz exam right now, folder of work complete and ready for the Q & A which makes up quite a bit of the requirement. It is back to college as well tomorrow, so Christmas is well and truly done with. Alison is already advanced in taking down the decorations and the house is returning to normal.

I'm about to cook a nut roast wellington to go with the Sunday roast and will be listening to Desert Island Discs, catching up with the episodes from the holidays.

Joseph has a sleepover, as he will be off school tomorrow with INSET Day whilst Bridie is at work. It means one less thing to worry her tomorrow morning. That means another body for our 4.30 appointment with Liverpool v Man Utd. Fingers crossed the children get the result they want.

Cold and frosty morning

The photos are from yesterday's afternoon dog walk but the past few mornings have been very cold with a hard frost. We've been out a couple of times today and enjoyed the stillness, with a lot of rain forecast for later.

Maria is at dance again with a view to preparing for tomorrow's exam. Quite a few of the Christmas decorations are down now, including the various outdoor lights. Change is on its way.

Jan 2nd is a beautiful day

I was out and about before 7 this morning on the first dog walk of the day and it was cold. There was quite a frost but it had become lovely and sunny when we took to the road again before 10, this time heading to Remedy Oak.

That apart, I have been cooking again with a little porridge for us this morning including pistachios, blackberry jam, apricot, fig, cranberries, chia seeds, flax, sunflower and pumpkin seeds. All very healthy. Similarly so with the pasta and chickpea salad which included some leftover roast vegetables and nut roast. All very healthy but quite a bit of recovery to do before the excesses of Christmas are repaid.