Flying solo

Hello Diary and Dear Friends-in-the-Box, :hello:

Thank you for your well-wishes, everyone.

Am a rather wobbly Robin today. With any luck also slightly lighter - 40' fever has to be good for something, right?
Anyway the various meds have kicked in; temp is down to 38.8' and so far I've been vertical for well over an hour without feeling an imperative need to collapse into bed - so hopefully have broken the back of this particular bug.
Missrlr is it widespread then? The visitor who passed it to me spent the previous week with a girl who'd flown over from Ireland.. Wish I'd realised in time to give her a mask for use on the 'plane when she left.

HAW I think our efforts may have been effective; Big Yellow Ball was missing here yesterday - cloudy all day DS4 said - so I hope the sunshine has reached you and stays for a while..

Granny that's a very good point - ok shall consider m'self lucky not to have been ill a few days earlier; would have been very disappointed to have missed our treat..
You must be fizzing with pent-up anticipation - do hope your DGS doesn't keep everyone waiting much longer ((hugs)).

Lucky yes am taking my medicines and DS4 is in-and-out looking after me, bless him. He even watered the garden last night which hopefully will have saved the tomatoes and beans.

While he was doing my chores DS4 also spotted the Nest's newest resident again, and has named him; Cecil.
I saw him briefly about a week ago - wasn't wearing glasses so he just looked like one of the posts we use for supporting young trees. As I was wondering how a post had blown onto the steps, it vanished..
Then a few days ago while watering the garden, I noticed both Daft Dogs staring into the undergrowth beneath Almond One. Could hear a rustling, hissing noise - assumed the hose had sprung a leak so just thought ok, that'll save me watering those plants by hand..
Suddenly realised the rustling noise was moving across the garden, a moment before CD leaped - yelled at her to get back then screamed in earnest as an enormous brown snake flashed past me (squashed a tomato plant in my hurry to get out of his way)!

Yesterday DS4 got a clear look at him, basking on rocks; a good two metres long and as thick as his arm..
This is not good news; Mr Google suggests that he's a Montpelier - so could be dangerous for Daft Dogs, though unlikely to kill a human (advice to avoid bites is don't pick 'em up - which is exactly what CD would do if she catches him :eek:). The other bad news is that he seems to have found a home in the dry-stone wall below the caravan.
Am worried that 'his' size actually indicates pregnancy so a name-change to Cecilia might be in order? Aargh - could end up with dozens of 'em unless we can persuade him/her to move on quickly! :eek:

Defences at the moment consist of calling Daft Dogs very frequently; rewarding 'em with a sausage if they arrive within five seconds. ..Thus hopefully keeping my girlies close to the house until I can ask DS4 to put PC's party-sound-system out in the garden, and we'll see how Cecil likes DS3's drum and bass music.. Oh yes, and the 1812 Overture - wonder what else there is in our collection that has plenty of vibrating bass (suggestions welcome)?
..This has to go on the "Con" side of my Summer in Spain list..

Done the banking, a couple of days late so may have incurred some interest charges. Oh well, so it goes. At least the NSDs are clocking up.

Oops; time to go horizontal. Hope to catch up with some of your diaries later, dear friends.

Hello Diary and Friends both young and young-at-heart, :hello:

Thank you everyone for all the uplifting comments, and welcome to the Nest, lindens; well done for ploughing through the history of Flying Solo - am honoured and gratified that you haven't found it boring! :rotfl:
..But please don't neglect your work; would be somewhat counter-productive to risk the ire of your employer by reading an MSE diary!

grannyx2 wrote: »

Lol the scaring Cecil (ia) away with loud music idea, hope it works. Must be worrying, especially with you not feeling well

Granny, DS4 doesn't think loud music would work because snakes are technically deaf.
..Was hoping the vibrations from PC's huge speakers would transmit through the ground (a shy snake will move away from vibration, which is probably why Cecil arrived in the first place - a neighbour is redesigning his patch of hillside, changing it from steep rocky slope into rather more convenient flat terraces. As the tools of choice are a pair of JCBs, it's hardly surprising that Cecil came seeking more peaceful environs ).

Unfortunately without Dear Divo's assistance the strident music idea is a non-starter, because I simply could not shift those speakers in such a way that they'd still function at the end of the process. Suppose I could chuck 'em down the steep slope and hope they hit the pump-house.. A miss would send the cabinets bouncing on down through the olive trees; ending up as matchwood right at the bottom..
:think: Nah; back to the drawing-board (have no shortage of kindling ).

Mara_uk7 wrote:

having looked at that snake pic, I definately think you should be staying indoors !! Made me feel sick that did !

Hello Mara, Cecil looks even more frightening when he stretches right out! And he moves like super-charged mercury if disturbed. :eek:
So am taking your advice; mostly staying inside until balance improves [curse at blocked sinuses] and I can take avoiding action if necessary, without falling off the hillside..
Daft Dogs have learned their lesson; all it took was to show them a packet of frankfurters then leave it on a table. Every so often they anticipate a morsel flying through the air, which is obviously worth waiting within sight and snap! of. :rotfl:

Clever Dog's meds are making her ravenous! All evening she hassled me unmercifully for sausage, even barking a fairly passable rendition of "want one!" (- given the restrictions of her vocal chords ). Suppose it was asking rather a lot, leaving the packet out in view.
Eventually gave her half a scoop of the hated kibble - she hoovered it up so really must have been hungry.
:think: CD is due another trip to see Dear Vet soon; think weighing her while we're there might be a good idea. Will also ask for a shot of anti-venom just in case CD tangles with Cecil before he leaves. FD can have a revision with DV too - she seems much more comfortable now so perhaps DV will say:
"Keep taking the pills" - in which case supplies need replenishing.

:coffee:

It is a glorious night. :cool2:
After sleeping for a fair chunk of yesterday am now wide awake - feeling human again [:D] - listening to the sounds of the starlit world; every few minutes a bird I can't identify sings his/her short melody above the frog chorus echoing faintly up from the river-bed. Occasionally a dog barks.
The hills are dark, dotted with a few lights at houses where someone is wakeful - aha, first cockerel of the morn has just started crowing.. (05.20)

Teeny-tiny mosquitoes that can pass effortlessly through the window-screens are less-than-welcome visitors at this time of year; their sting leaves a nasty bite which is prone to infection and entirely out of proportion to the wretched creatures' diminutive size.
..Every time I look in the mirror, am reminded by a pulsating red weal that it's time to construct a CO2 trap for them (apologies for allowing m' Buddhist principles to slip a little here ).
<Noseeums >> Spanish summer list = "Con"!>

:coffee:

Dawn. More glory as the palette of the sky lightens, silhouetting mountain ridges and trees. Birdsong is all around.. :smileyhea

..It's chilly enough to find a jumper, then am off outside to see how m' garden has been doing over the last few days.
Cecil? Aha; have thought about this - will clomp about and jump up and down frequently. ..Vibrations, yes?
(Would rather appear to be a complete loon if any neighbours are wandering around, than risk accidentally cornering our unintended guest! :rotfl:).
Daft Dogs will be staying inside.