Tuesday 30 September 2008

How Silly!

A friend said to call on him while Mike is away, and take some tea with him and his wife. On Friday I thought I would do just that but of course I fell and didn't venture very far the rest of the weekend. Yesterday I thought I would take a drive to the village, walk the dogs and buy some milk before calling on my friend. So in the early evening that is what I did, or set out to do.


It was a lovely evening and I wished I had the camera with me. The sun was casting a lovely light on the lake. The trees were especially lovely, all different colours but with a special quality to them cast by the sun. Yes a pity I didn't have the camera, but with three greyhounds and a sprained wrist not a good idea. Perhaps another day.

We had a lovely walk from the lake up into the village and into some woods. Jewel was a bit excited, high as a kite actually. I think she had picked up the scent of some deer or something. All was fine until we got back to the car and I tried to get the keys out of my pocket. But I couldn't open the zip! I tried for a long time standing outside of the car. The mosquitoes were appearing, and so was dusk! I got the car key out a little and managed to unlock the car door with it. But as soon as I opened it, it set off the alarm! I didn't even know the car was alarmed!! Eventually the alarm stopped sounding but the lights continued to flash, which meant I couldn't abandon the car as there would be no battery left. I tried operating the key fob thing again from inside of the pocket and this time it worked. The car unlocked without sounding the alarm and we were able to get in at least. The dogs were relieved, especially Paddy who had started to whine, (he always whines). Or especially me as I didn't have to listen to Paddy whineing. The dogs were happy. They could lie down and relax. But not me. I tried and tried to release the key in order to be able to drive the car. Fortunately I had managed to release the house keys from the pocket as they were not so bulky, so I had the option of walking back home. But I didn't want to be defeated by it. Neither did I want to give in and ring my friend, (he would have come and rescued me). I could have walked a short way to a house and asked for some scissors to cut the pocket and release the key. How odd would that have appeared? We already have some noterity in the village just for being the only English people here.

Well I sat for some time trying to release the stitches of the pocket or making a hole. With a sprained wrist it is more difficult than it would otherwise have been. But eventually I managed. I drove to the shop for the milk but it was closed. On my way back home I drove past my friends house, too disheartened to call.

Oh well maybe I will get to visit them today. I still need some milk.

At least I found that I am okay to drive to the airport tomorrow.



The offending key and zip.



Tommorow my children arrive for a week with my grandson. Perhaps I will be too busy to post or maybe there will be lots to post about! After some lovely weather here, it is foggy this morning, (as my daughter predicted).


We'll see.

Sunday 28 September 2008

Falling

It's been a bit windy here over the weekend, and it's been blowing the leaves off the trees. Unfortunately I didn't manage to get any photos of the leaves being blown off the trees which was a shame as it was like snow when they fell.






This tree reminds me of a ballerina somehow. Perhaps because of it's upright posture and it's outstretched branches, as though it's twirling round. And in twirling round it's shaken all it's leaves loose.




This is taken from the same spot but looking towards the forest.




Brown grasses over by the barn.




I think I like this picture not only for the blue sky but for the difference in the colour of the two trees.


The leaves on the trees were n't the only things that were falling down. On Friday whilst out with the dogs for their first walk of the day I took a tumble. I had all 3 dogs on leads walking through the forest. Jewel had stopped for a moment and when she resumed her walk, she didn't carry on walking but launched herself off into the air and then lurched forward taking me with her. She does this from time to time, I think she just gets excited. Mike nicknames her exocet as she is like a missile when she does this. Only this time, being early in the morning and lost in my thoughts as to how I was going to spend the day, she took me by surprise. I was stood on a small rise and had further to fall. I landed on some soft peaty earth but my left hand was doubled up under me and quite painful. Jewel had broke free from my grasp and was stood a little way off looking a bit unsure, she'd probably got a shock at me falling over and yelling out. I gathered up the leads as best I could and hobbled back to the house. Fortunately we had not got far. Back at the house I nursed my wrist wrapping it in a cold compress and then used a towel as a bandage. Eventually the pain eased, but I was left unable to do very much for the rest of the day. So any plans I had been making were left undone. I spent the day feeling sorry for myself with just the dogs for company and no one else to help out. Just the smallest everyday things proved harder and slower to do. Still I was able to loose myself in Blogland.


However today I'm on the mend and I even managed to make a coffee cake with the help of my Robot Chef.




Well I needed a tasty treat!


I've even managed to use my left hand to help type this post, but not without some discomfort. Time to call a halt though. Tomorrow I will try to drive the car. I'm not sure how I will manage to change gear. But I need to be able to drive on Wednesday so I can go to the airport and collect my daughter, son and grandson who are coming to stay for a week. I'm looking forward to having them here.

Thursday 25 September 2008

Forest Dwellers



After travelling for 4 days we arrived at our home in Sweden. Two days later Mike flew back to the UK to collect Rufus, (that's a story in itself). But as from Tuesday 9th September; Paddy, Jewel, Rufus, Mike and me were together in our home in the forest.


Settling in.

Since arriving we've already had 4 visitors to stay for a week. Almost as they left, once again Mike flew to the UK where he will be for the next 2 weeks. Fortunately as he left we got reconnected to the internet, horray! So although I might be living in the forest, I feel very connected to the outside world even though I don't see anyone to talk to from one day to the next.

Except for Paddy, Jewel and Rufus.


They seem to be enjoying their new home, and the recent sunshine we've been having.