Blowing in the Winds of Change

Sun_Addict

Ooh good news on the €50 and shoes

Not so good on the gas front though

*Robin*

Hello MSE World, :hello:

Dansmam wrote: »

Morning Robin

'Morning Dansmam,

Dansmam wrote: »

just caught up on your alarms and excursions - sounds like a bit of weather is going on! Meaning shoes are definitely a gift from the weather gods

It's been the best type of rain so far; not so much a deluge that water just runs straight off the surface into the rivers and lost at sea - often carrying precious fertile topsoil with it - but gentler and more persistent, soaking into the grateful land. Amazing.

Dansmam wrote: »

Lurcher lad is curious to know - what is a puppy park?! He knows about parks (places with lots of things to sniff and pee on) and puppies ( little annoying things that either roll over and make you sniff their tummies, or bounce in your face and need a loud telling off) but the two together is an unknown concept. He wonders if it’s a bit like a beach?!

Rowf! Puppy park is fun, Lurcher Lad, is good. Special guarded place in town just for pups - young and growed-up. Huge running space free, lots of sniffing places and marking places and water places and also people games* and bestist - lots of new pups to play with! People bring pups from all over for safe running so always find new big energy fast mates there. Also old wobbly cuddly pups get lots of love from all pups' peoples, baby pups get exploring World with other babies - not lonely for first paw-family so much.
Is my favourite place 'specially when Mistress puts moving-home by gate - then know soon am getting lots of running playing all day and probably tomorrow too. Much better than beach.
* Agility equipment.

Dansmam wrote: »

Good on vet for looking into the effect of things vets don’t prescribe.

Yes, DV is very enlightened in that way - she is genuinely interested in "alternatives" which is a wonderfully refreshing viewpoint to find in an allopathic trained vet (or doctor!). Well worth the long drive to work with her.

Dansmam wrote: »

No comment on the gas shenanigans- suffice to say dd never sorted her European gas supply having encountered very similar levels of non-support ☹️ Van gas remains on uk connector and water is boiled on a rocket stove.

Ah, following extensive research I may possibly have come across a solution. Will let you know next week; ordered - at vast expense - a piece of kit which purports to facilitate connection between van's fixed UK system and local bottles. We'll see.

Dansmam wrote: »

Glad you’re safely back at the cottages hope you and M have a lovely day x

Am getting used to being here without DH. It is finally time to accept his absence, while appreciating the things he loved about this little village - all his life he was restless, but here he said he felt 'at home' which, I've realised, is now important to me.

Lots of Spanish part-time neighbours turned up at the weekend; it was a big moment for the local organic avocado co-op to which they all belong - several chilled containers to fill, destined for up-market German and French clients. Over three intense days the orchards have been harvested by extended families working together, so the village has been filled with chatter and laughter from first light.
Musketeer got a lot of attention. In UK eyes he's just a misbegotten mutt, but Andalusian farmers see a handsome young hound bred to guard, to hunt.. I was questioned closely about the boar sign M shows me every day, and told he needs a kennel near the houses so that he can do his job properly. Of course that also involves spending his days on a chain and nights running loose - so ain't going to happen while he's in my care. :cool:
The piggies are definitely still hiding in the ravine, emerging at night to feast on fallen avocados, carobs, olives and acorns. Have realised the locals quietly intend to leave them to fatten up for now - but Daddy boar will have to watch out during the last couple of weeks of the hunting season - they have plans for him!

Sun_Addict wrote:

Ooh good news on the €50 and shoes

Not so good on the gas front though

Hello Sun.A,
Yes that 50€ note made a big difference to getting through this month, although I have also accepted the charge of looking after DS3's Summer-getting-to-work fund, which helps me out and means he can't be tempted to blow it while on holiday. They've installed a house-sitter to look after GrandPup and the gardens; a lovely keen young man who hopefully will be coming to work in the garden here too. Have decided my asparagus plantation and most precious young trees which are small enough to transplant will have to come here, as I have not yet found anywhere else to start a new project.
So far nobody has called about those shoes, although they are actually a little large for me so having been cleaned they are in reserve, for now.
Keeping fingers crossed re solution to gas problem - but the young lady who took my order was full of confidence, so last night I splurged some of my precious limited supply on cooking a medley of veg for dinner. Really enjoyed not having salad, for a change!

*Robin*

Hello Diary World, :hello:

Have popped in a few times since posting last, but found it very hard to cope with all the "Just sorted my tax return" posts when I hadn't, so resolved that job must be done before I would allow m'self another waffling session here..
Thanks to Friendly Accountant the object was achieved in time to avoid another fine, but paying HMRC's bill has increased my overdraft. Oh well. :cool:

The Divos are now all but one heading East, with friends, on a mission to fulfil Ex's last wish by scattering his ashes in the Ganges. In some ways I'd liked to have joined them, but it wasn't realistic given the time it would take me to recover from such long flights - and now turns out the location picked for this solemn undertaking is rather seedy, very mucky, and full of sick people hoping for a cure from whatever ails them.
Am enjoying seeing the 'photos the lads are sending back, though.

Still waiting for m' gas adaptor to arrive so have turned the 5 - 2 diet on it's head in an attempt to eke out the last of my UK bottle (it made it to the end of the month, yay!). Twice a week I steam as much as I can on one ring, and the rest of the time graze on food that can be eaten raw, along with cold cooked potatoes and veg.
Does mean am not able to move location much, as would be completely stuffed without an electric kettle for making tea - which requires a mains hook-up, of course.
On the plus side there's nothing to spend money on in the campo.

Musketeer is still enthusiastically tracking "our" wild boar family. They are getting very brave at night - a couple of times I've had to drag M back to the van when it became clear that the piggies were nearby. Daddy Boar is huge - have caught sight of him in the orchards - really don't want him to feel provoked into chasing us! :eek:

That's about it. Not achieving anything much, but am enjoying the weather, birdsong and bees - a wild colony has moved into an abandoned hive behind the village. They were quite nervous at first but seem to be settling down now.

Sun_Addict

OMG - hope you don't get chased by wild boar :eek:

Weather etc sounds fab - I do love bees

stepuptothepl8

The boar sounds enormous!! I only did my tax return on the 31st.. must try harder with the current year

I hope the adaptor works when it arrives. I do hope you're eating enough, I'm not convinced that you are..

chevalier

my OH did his with four hours to go rolls eyes!.

glad to hear that things are a bit of an even keel now. I am a bit confused though as to why you haven't gone back up to the Nest, did it get damaged in a storm?
cheers
chev

*Robin*

Hello Sun.A, :hello:

Sun_Addict wrote: »

OMG - hope you don't get chased by wild boar :eek:

Weather etc sounds fab - I do love bees

Yes, I share your wish that Big Piggie doesn't chase us - had such an encounter many years ago which taught me how tenacious wild boar are, and know very well that there's absolutely no way I could run a kilometre now, let alone faster than an adult boar!

Weather is pretty changeable tbh; tops are still snow-covered so there's that sharp tang in the air, and lower down rain seems to be falling most nights - Dour Neighbour set up his telescope but we missed the full Moon due to finding ourselves in the middle of a wet cloud. Ah well.

Hello Stepup, :hello:

stepuptothepl8 wrote:

The boar sounds enormous!! I only did my tax return on the 31st.. must try harder with the current year

I hope the adaptor works when it arrives. I do hope you're eating enough, I'm not convinced that you are..

Oh, Daddy Pig is as big as they get I think, armoured with a wicked-looking set of tusks!

I paid HMRC two days before the deadline this time - felt stupidly pleased with m'self (despite the daily overdraft fees going up because of it). Apparently Divo Four has put back the funds he borrowed, but I haven't touched them [yet!] - still have a solicitor's bill to pay which will swallow the lot, and more.

Still waiting for my parcel [gas adaptor] but have acquired a single ring camping cooker for tea-making away from base.
You may be right about my food intake, but don't worry; it would do me good to lose ten kilos so a bit longer on short rations won't cause any harm.

Divo Three's house-sitter has had enough of GrandPup's bad habits, so this afternoon Musketeer and I collected him and came down to the beach. Pup is overjoyed, and has been perfectly behaved ever since he realised he would be staying with us. His bed is rather an obstacle as it fills the gap between van's kitchen and bathroom, but am sure I can manage not to trip over it.

Hello Chev, :hello:

chevalier wrote:

my OH did his with four hours to go rolls eyes!.

glad to hear that things are a bit of an even keel now. I am a bit confused though as to why you haven't gone back up to the Nest, did it get damaged in a storm?

Ha - I beat your OH on his tax return then!

Reasons for not moving back into the Nest:
1. It will be a terrible wrench selling as it is, without increasing the angst by living there again beforehand.
2. I simply do not have enough strength to physically shift everything from van to house.
3. In a house, I'd have to saw and carry firewood - again quite beyond my energy levels at the moment. The van is well insulated so even without the luxury of gas heating [at the moment] it's much easier to be comfortable.
4. Safety. As all the Divos are currently otherwise engaged, it could be quite a long while before anyone noticed if I tripped over the steps or slipped on one of the steeper garden paths.. It would be foolish to risk it for m' boys' sake as well as my own (don't fancy stepping off this mortal coil due to hypothermia or a cracked skull - the sort of accident the Divos would have trouble getting over. Do feel a responsibility not to blight the rest of their lives now I'm the only parent).

It's raining again. Think an early night is on the cards..

Sun_Addict

Good to hear from you Robin. What are grandpup's bad habits that the house-sitter didn't like? Sounds like he prefers to be with you and M anyway I bet he has way more fun

Dansmam

Morning Robin - I think you!!!8217;re very wise to avoid Big Pig, slips trips falls and hypothermia !!!55357;!!!56841;. Fingers crossed for the gas adapter when it arrives. 2 dogs !!!55357;!!!56341; !!!55357;!!!56341; must be better than one and will keep you snug in the van. I hope grandpup has no bad habits you can!!!8217;t put up with, also hope he doesn!!!8217;t teach M any of them. Have a lovely day x

*Robin*

Hello Sun.A, :hello:

Sun_Addict wrote: »

Good to hear from you Robin. What are grandpup's bad habits that the house-sitter didn't like? Sounds like he prefers to be with you and M anyway I bet he has way more fun

GrandPup runs away from House-sitter, has no recall at all with him and yesterday morning was spotted more than a kilometre from home on the wrong side of the main road! Which is against Spanish Law as well as being dangerous.
He's been escaping from the back yard and / or trashing the house when left alone, and I think the guy is just fed up with the responses he gets when he does take GrandPup out with him - many folk are wary of Staffie-type dogs. House-sitter's own pup is a very cute, elderly KC.Spaniel x Collie who does have the most adorable face and long wavy fur which hangs down either side of her flanks like fringes.. So he's used to people coming up and cooing over her, whereas when they see GrandPup's black bullet-head and his intense gaze staring at them, folk who don't know he's actually got a sweet nature tend to cross the road to avoid him.

Have to say that at the moment GrandPup is behaving very much better than Musketeer - was obliged to remove M from the puppy-park just now because he was bullying a JRT, and he ignored me calling him away from it! :mad:

Anyway, DS3 & GGF are very relieved GrandPup is now with us, so hopefully they can enjoy the rest of their holiday without worrying about him. Three had a grumble because House-sitter has been paid to care for GrandPup, but it's not really the chap's fault that he and the dog aren't getting on.

Hello Dansmam, :hello:

Dansmam wrote:

Morning Robin - I think you!!!8217;re very wise to avoid Big Pig, slips trips falls and hypothermia !!!55357;!!!56841;. Fingers crossed for the gas adapter when it arrives. 2 dogs !!!55357;!!!56341; !!!55357;!!!56341; must be better than one and will keep you snug in the van. I hope grandpup has no bad habits you can!!!8217;t put up with, also hope he doesn!!!8217;t teach M any of them. Have a lovely day x

Haha - bet you've got a ruddy App!e product! See site feedback - lots of iph0nes are playing up today. :rotfl: