Blowing in the Winds of Change

Thanks for your comments, Sun.A, Lucky and Bubbles, :T

Grand-Pup is absolutely fine again now - he's actually doubled in size since joining DS' & GGF's household five weeks ago, and is now the proud owner of his very own passport.

please-let-me-be-lucky wrote: »

Oh Robin, I don't like to think of you being brassic with not much to eat

Please don't worry, Lucky - there is more than enough in the garden and store-cupboard to feed me (and I could do with losing a few more kilos anyway, so a shortage of sweet treats can only be a good thing! ).

In fact last week I was able to rustle up a feast entirely from stocks, to celebrate our winter tenant's last night before he left DH's cottage. Admittedly the prep took all day: Peel spuds - lie down for a rest. Pick broad-beans - lie down, rest, then shell 'em in bed, etc. Still, everything including two mains [for different dietary requirements] came together by half past six so we ate at a reasonable hour.
Mind you, the washing up is still going through the system! :rotfl:

Wasn't worth much over the following couple of days, but managed to get out on British Mothers' Day; DS3, GGF and Grand-Pup collected me and we all went up to one of the mountain villages where an ex-pat bar had arranged entertainment. It was a beautiful day; sunny and warm, plus great fun to catch up with lots of friends I'd not seen for ages.
DS and Grand-Pup went for a walk to look at some Phoenician ruins on the top of the closest peak, which meant I had to wait a couple of hours for a lift back to the Nest - a delay I could have done without, tbh.
Clouds were rolling in from the West by then - harbingers of a vicious storm front; the warmth of the day was over. GGF stayed at the bar while DS drove me down the mountain. He had intended to do some gardening then meet up with GGF at the Old House later, but realised he'd mislaid his 'phone so dashed off again - thinking he'd dropped it on the mountain top, wanting to get up there before dark to try and find it.

Nearly four hours later, thunder and lightening crashing overhead with rain lashing down in the darkness, GGF and I started chatting on-line. We realised DS hadn't made it back to the gathering at the bar - after a flurry of calls and messaging, it turned out that nobody had seen him since he left the Nest!

Now, everyone who has visited the white mountain villages of Andalusia will have noticed many roadside shrines, each of which commemorates a life ended in tragic circumstances. Every year their number grows.. There are stories of miraculous escapes - DS1 was saved from a three hundred metre fall into a river by a well-placed ancient fig tree when his first car left the road, but we've lost half a dozen mates over the years who weren't so lucky.
It's not easy to raise a search party when the weather is atrocious; the risk of landslides adds to the danger and of course DS was driving our only accessible vehicle (Divo One is away, working on his current project for a couple of weeks). Bless her, GGF's Mum agreed to take her and drive the route again, looking for any sign that the van had fallen down a steep drop.. This was worth doing before calling out the police, mainly because it was quicker (two friends died from postural strangulation after being knocked unconscious when they had an accident which wasn't found in time - killed by their seat-belts!).
Anyway, after a nail-biting wait GGF told me there was no obvious sign that DS had gone over an edge.. None of the folk who were still at the bar were willing to risk their own lives by searching the mountain top, but the van wasn't parked at either of the two footpaths leading up so that possibility was looking unlikely..

By this time both GGF and I were terrified.. Hearts gripped in iron bands as the storm reached it's furious peak. If we'd been in a movie the background music would have been approaching a crashing crescendo; the fulcrum moment - would our hero survive or not?
Should GGF and her Mum go to the nearest Guardia post? It's a serious step; the Spanish police wouldn't be at all impressed if called out in dangerous weather for a false alarm.
We were talking on messenger, trying to reach a decision, when suddenly new comments started appearing on GGF's thread which obviously weren't from her. After a couple of minutes' confusion - was this a voice from the next dimension [?!] - we realised that DS was typing from their home computer, on GGF's log-in - he was safe!

The elastic band of stress released it's grip.. Fellow PwME will understand the effect of that; I've been useless ever since. But oh so relieved and thankful; DS' karma must have been good enough to keep him out of trouble.
Next time we're in funds, GGF and I are going to buy some of those tracker discs to put on everyone's keys - it's not worth the angst of having to rely on mobiles to keep in contact.

Today am very, very grateful for Divo Three's good luck. Also for wonderful mates - two of whom have offered loans if I'm in need of funds before the current bottleneck eases - and my fruitful garden which hopefully will render cash borrowing unnecessary.

April Fool's Day (British). Serves me right for commenting that I hadn't seen anyone all week.. This morning I was woken up by a brace of estate agents. They told me they've been driving around this area with a client who has spotted the Nest and would like to buy it!
"Well," I said. "Everything is for sale at the right price - how much is your client offering?"
"How much do you want?"
"Oh no, I'm not looking for a buyer - I love my little garden here! It's up to your client to make me an offer I can't refuse."
They left me their card, we exchanged mobile numbers, and agreed to speak again next week. Interestingly, they'd also come across Divo Three walking with Grand-Pup while they were out with their client. Time will tell whether this is a scam, or they were actually casing the joint (a common ploy here - usually it's a fake gas engineer wanting to check for out-of-date hoses and adaptors).

Managed to pay the two bills mentioned yesterday, after a worrying half-hour wobble when I couldn't remember the password for DH's flat's account. As usual, money out attracted money in - the first rent instalment from the New House tenants has been paid into my UK a/c (phew!). Just as well, because DS4 reminded me about another large maintenance bill which is overdue. I've been trying to pay that for months (when I remember about it).. Now finally have the amount required, the recipient's bank details - but can I remember his surname? Aaargh - bluddy brain fog! ..Serves me right for putting him in my 'phone book as "Don Handyman" (to distinguish him from the other five Dons on my list ). Embarrassing to have to call him in order to ask, but needs must I suppose.
Once that's done I'll check the UK a/c balance, and see whether there's enough left to pay the parking yard bill here.. Which would be wonderful, as then I can take out camper-van and go to visit the pet rescue centre mentioned several posts ago. The timing would be perfect - DS3 and GGF are going away to Portugal for a week in the Spanish van, and I'd rather not be stranded without an option to call for transport if required.

Today am grateful for the flock of goldfinches who have been playing in the almond tree outside my window; so sweet and entertaining. Also to Smiley Neighbour, who put half a dozen beehives on his land next to the Nest last night - they're all over the meadow flowers this morning, so I've just filled up the bee-friendly water bowl. Last but not least, am grateful to DS4 for organising the rent payment which hopefully has stopped my UK a/c from going into the red.