Flying solo

*Robin*

Hello Diary and MSE Visitors, :hello:

Thank you for dropping in and clarifying the situation at work, Granny. It's been so long since I was fit enough to undertake any kind of 'employee' position that am sadly ignorant of the rules and rights which apply.
All I can say is, do hope you can cut through the red tape to achieve a satisfactory result.. (((Hugs)))

Meanwhile, let's carry on sharing virtual cake, shall we?
Alas there is none left today; the RL version was a great success but after delivering it and being Granny-taxi yesterday - so much for my hoped-for afternoon gardening - there was no energy left for washing up after baking the Vic Sponge, let alone think of making more treats.

Didn't light the stove for a second night, so cold is seeping into the walls of the Nest. The living room thermometer reads 11'C - at midday that's not great. Have turned off the 'phone - today am determined to avoid being dragged into my loved ones' lives as I desperately need some time to recharge batteries.

Also to give thanks because CD is lying on my feet right now.
Nearly lost her yesterday:

Delivered DGD & DS2 to a kids' party near the beach (his car is not drivable without a new exhaust). CD knows that road and was pretty excited, so it wouldn't have been fair to return to the Nest without letting her enjoy herself at one of her favourite places.

Clever Dog ran, bounced, sniffed, leaped in the surf, played with a couple of German terriers, and skirted the fishermen warily. I stumbled through the sand behind her - heart-thumping, head spinning after just a couple of minutes; not sure whether these symptoms are a sign of things to come, or possibly a respiratory infection?
Either way it was not particularly enjoyable.
Noticed several Illegals sitting morosely on the beach, staring out to sea. Each one alone, surrounded by an invisible wall of ..something.. (their thoughts?). Like all the other walkers, I passed quietly around these men at a respectful distance; there was nothing to say.

Further on, at the place which used to be covered with tarps, tents, and shelters built out of flotsam, there is now a freshly bull-dozed flat space. Understanding dawned; trudged on towards the estuary with sadness in my heart for the unfortunates who had lived there, whose grasp on 'civilisation' has now become more tenuous.

Clever Dog found a shoal of fish in one of the freshwater pools. She entertained herself by splashing around among them while she waited for me to reach her. Poor fish, guess they weren't having as much fun as CD, but she was just playing - didn't catch any.

At the river-mouth we turned back, CD charging ahead as usual. Suddenly I realised two of the Illegals had got up, and were rapidly converging on CD - who by then was a good half kilometre closer to them than to me, and engrossed in the scents on a rubbish bin pole..

Neither of these men are among the beggars I talk to in the supermarket car-park, so they have no way of knowing CD is actually an old dog who's had 'the operation' - to them she must have seemed like an amazing opportunity to make money, as it was obvious the fat old owner couldn't chase them.

If CD could still have puppies, she would indeed have represented vast wealth to the Illegals. Given their desperate situation, can't blame 'em for trying..

Luckily for CD and self, there was no wind to carry away my shouted command. Lucky also that unlike most of her breed, Clever Dog has excellent recall. Even at twelve years old she had no trouble out-running her would-be captors - returned to my side at a gallop! :T

Safely attached to the lead, CD towed me back along the beach. The Illegals vanished into a sugar-cane field, which is a shame because I wanted to give them a 10€ note - all there was in my pocket; would have bought them a hot meal at least, and given me the opportunity to explain that CD is worthless to them.

The whole experience has left me feeling sad and enervated.
Not the right head-space for tackling THEM (or anyone else, for that matter - right now am very grateful to be living in a field in the middle of no-where ).

Garden is calling; will try fresh air and hopefully practise turning off that annoying little internal voice for a while..
Then think about a suitable gesture to give thanks for CD not getting stolen.

Oh. Spent £15 on tapas yesterday, before dropping off DS & DGD.

debtfreewannabe321

I do love reading your stories Robin what a shame the men ran off before you could offer them the money. It's so saddening to see people struggling just to live .

I hope tonight is warmer for you. We've had a freezing weekend but today the sun is shining, there was no ice on the cars and the heating is off :T I doubt it will continue but i'm enjoying it whilst it is warmer xx

please-let-me-be-lucky

I always feel I am right with you in your stories Robin. Closest I will get to a holiday for a while, and for that I thank you once again for your wonderful writing.

Thank goodness CD remains with you! Xx

missrlr

Oh my what a sorry state of cause and effect.
Glad it ended without trauma but without satisfactory resolution really.
We do indeed need to give thanks for our less than perfect but still very handsome situations

Do recharge and try to recoup

Fudgefund

Hi Robin :hello:

You are second in my unforgivably slow catch up on other people's diaries, I'm sorry to read you are a bit under the weather at the moment. It took me an embarrassingly long time to work out you were talking about tax returns, which I know absolutely nothing about, but congratulations on getting it done, sounds horrendous!

I've enjoyed catching up on your diary - I'm always particularly touched by your compassion in the direction of others in the area. I was so heartened to read of your gift to the man who looks out for CD in the supermarket car park. I'm very relieved to read CD is still in your care after the escape at the beach, sounds terrible.

I am amazed it's been warm enough where you are to eat outside! I think if I read your diary enough the weather here will seem completely unbearable.

*Robin*

debtfreewannabe321 wrote: »

I do love reading your stories Robin

Hi DFw, am glad you enjoy hearing about my small life.
(Sometimes think it must seem very boring to most folks ).

debtfreewannabe321 wrote: »

what a shame the men ran off before you could offer them the money. It's so saddening to see people struggling just to live

Indeed.

debtfreewannabe321 wrote: »

I hope tonight is warmer for you. We've had a freezing weekend but today the sun is shining, there was no ice on the cars and the heating is off :T I doubt it will continue but i'm enjoying it whilst it is warmer xx

Wow, heating off in early February? That's impressive!

I lit the stove at dusk; had enough of pretending to be an Esquimo! :rotfl:

please-let-me-be-lucky wrote:

I always feel I am right with you in your stories Robin. Closest I will get to a holiday for a while, and for that I thank you once again for your wonderful writing.

Hello Lucky, gosh I will have a swollen head in no time [as someone used to say]; so much praise for my prose.
Virtual holidays? There's an idea! :T

please-let-me-be-lucky wrote:

Thank goodness CD remains with you! Xx

Once more; indeed! Keep catching glimpses of an alternative universe where I'd been gazing out to sea and missed the Illegals moving in on CD. How I'd be feeling now, thinking about the likely future CD would have once the captors realised they couldn't use her for breeding - maybe swapped for drugs or even worse, sold as bait for training fighting dogs (very illegal, but it happens in the boondocks ).

So tonight I feel incredibly relieved and grateful that Clever Dog is snoozing next to me. :beer:

missrlr wrote:

Oh my what a sorry state of cause and effect.
Glad it ended without trauma but without satisfactory resolution really.
We do indeed need to give thanks for our less than perfect but still very handsome situations

All very true, Missrlr. Still trying to think of a suitable way to give thanks for personal disaster avoided.
Wondering about going to speak to the Illegal I know best - although that's not very well - and see if he knows where the others from the camp are living now?
Perhaps a food parcel would be appropriate (better find out what cooking facilities they have)?

missrlr wrote:

Do recharge and try to recoup

Recharging and recouping right now, Boss! :rotfl:
Spent a relaxing couple of hours in the garden; mixing up potting compost, weeding and watering the most recently planted-out little almond trees and bee-friendly flowers.
Lost m'self for a while - which calmed the spirit somewhat, and transported a bucketful of weeds to the compost. :T

Fudgefund wrote:

You are second in my unforgivably slow catch up on other people's diaries, I'm sorry to read you are a bit under the weather at the moment. It took me an embarrassingly long time to work out you were talking about tax returns, which I know absolutely nothing about, but congratulations on getting it done, sounds horrendous!

Hello Fudgie - thanks for popping in to the Nest; lovely to 'see' you!
Having to tussle with the annual TR is the hardest part of self-employment for me now that DH can no longer check the figures.
Ha - hardly deserve congratulations, given that I made two such stupid mistakes!

Fudgefund wrote:

I've enjoyed catching up on your diary - I'm always particularly touched by your compassion in the direction of others in the area. I was so heartened to read of your gift to the man who looks out for CD in the supermarket car park. I'm very relieved to read CD is still in your care after the escape at the beach, sounds terrible.

<Blushing>
Aw Fudgie, am just trying to maintain a balance; as Missrlr said, really we are all living fortunate lives on the global scale of possibilities.
:think: I believe it's important to be mindful of that and give something back to help improve the lot of those around us.
Sorry, it's getting so late that it's nearly early. Can't find the right words 'coz the nap I had earlier has just about worn off.

Fudgefund wrote:

I am amazed it's been warm enough where you are to eat outside! I think if I read your diary enough the weather here will seem completely unbearable.

Well, we were all wearing jackets lol - and I only mentioned eating lunch outside because it's rarely possible at this time of year.
By the sound of it, DFw had the best weather yesterday.

*Robin*

Hello Diary and MSE Friends, :hello:

Hmm. Was asked to be mate-taxi today, but our Creator has other plans; the Nest is sitting inside a soggy cloud. A steady stream of water running along the gutters proves that it is actually raining.

Just been to check the track; the packed clay surface is very slippery soooo as I don't fancy spending tonight toothbrush-less in a hostel just because someone else would like me to take 'em shopping, think it's a better idea to announce an early NSD and stay at home.

Have enough store-cupboard items and plenty in the freezer here, so if mate is really desperate he can cycle over - it's about ten miles though mostly downhill - and stay in the caravan, eating with me until the clouds drift away and the track dries out. CD would appreciate his dog's company - she's getting far too pally with the young foxes who now come right up to the Nest searching for CD's food stashes (one of 'em pooped in a flower-pot, the wretch :mad:).

Still very short of breath but no sign of a developing infection; not great.

grannyx2

Hope you manage to stay warm and dry and feel better soon

Granny x

*Robin*

grannyx2 wrote: »

Hope you manage to stay warm and dry and feel better soon

Granny x

Thank you Granny - same to you! (((Hugs)))

Sun_Addict

Hope you feel better soon Robin. Sounds like a day to stay snug and cosy in the nest!