getting festive

Its miserable...dreich...outside..we've been inside, writing cards..today's job was stock up on  food supplies and post cards..

We went by bus to Ayr, saving fuel and driving stress!

A simple lunch out , then hunting for The Right...Postable Presents!!

The quote comes to mind,"genius is one percent inspiration, ninetynine percent desperation"

Back home to more card writing..staying connected to friends and family in a traditional way as well as on fb and email!  Remembering just another...and just another...and then there are half a dozen December and January birthdays!!

We're really missing going to New Zealand ...our creaky bits are hurting and my hands are giving me concern. I'm exercising and stretching them every day,but the fear is that I'll get my workshop back running and not be able to work in clay...

archaeological walk

 Clouds moving in as we went for a lunchtime walk

 looking back towards our half of Drongan...home is just out of shot,top left,on the edge of the village.

 We walked round past the Mill o'Shield, now derelict as it was bought and left empty fairly recently.  This looks like a long standing 'temporary' bridge where flooding swept the previous one away sometime in the past 30 years or so!

 we explored what looked like a footpath

 and just round a bend in the river where the mill itself might have been...

 overflows

 leads or leats

 overflow from that

 the river sometimes covers here...

 now its there..

 and that lead comes from that overflow/fish ladder...

 first this year...

and so to bed.

The last batch of washing done,hopefully, the last of the stored apples chopped and frozen ready for use.
A heap of clothes selected...to be strongly weeded....and a bike packed.

Next week I learn online banking...yes, I know it may be easy, but it is new,it is different and I feel uncomfortable with it.

Life would be easier if we hadn't picked up a cough and cold..not what you need on a long haul flight..and The Pirate is feeling very negative because of it,and because money will be tight.  Travel insurance cost just under £800...almost as much as a ticket.  the car had to be mended to keep it safe...there went the budget for seeing friends in Tasmania.

However we know we'll arrive to a welcome the best we'll get anywhere. We'll be with friends,old and new.

walking and planning

Went for a pre-lunch walk at the nature reserve/ex-opencast coalmine by Drongan. The farm by there has alpacas, one newly brought in from New Zealand.

 
 There are benches around the paths, used for walking, cycling and riding

 This is "Kenny's View"  over the site and towards the village

 We found a gate.....

 and I foraged

I didn't pick any of these...

The shortening days mean we get out as much as possible.  The Pirate is getting a little sad, partly because of less light,partly because getting over his treatment takes a long time.He is running out of being a patient patient as he sees himself getting older.....riding his bike helps massively.

Meanwhile we do have something to look forward to...airline tickets booked, lodgings reserved (a garage sleepout!).

Hesitating while confirming lodgings cost us £200 each as the pound sterling continued to fall...and "Brexit" hasn't even happened...the Gods help us if it ever does....we are too old and too skint to emigrate.  My Irish ancestry is just too far back to get an Irish passport. We don't have family anywhere we want to go.....

So inertia must be fought, art done and sold so we can feed ourselves while we are away.   The Pirate has already sold some bike kit, now to sort,clean price and photograph the next batch.

many thanks

Worries placated, many thanks to those who know. Hoping that time will bring understanding.

and on the way

Today's firing is a little slower to start with, but over 500 C and picking up now. It started raining gently just after 8am, so a walk up the mountain after the firing could be off. Try again tomorrow.

I didn't sleep well last night. I was promised copies of photographs. Now I find out that they were afraid that I'd post them on here. You just don't post other peoples' images, and these would be so precious to me anyway. Looks like my only keepsakes will be our memories.

Why didn't they just ask, if they didn't understand and had doubts? They know well that I worry when I don't hear anything. Now it is yet another wait to hear if they will believe me.

He said to me, christmas before last..."don't contact them, they wouldn't understand Us or You"

Why did he have to be so right?

Another question is why did the person who told me skewed truths do so? Did they want to make sure that what he said was right?

communication

I wish people would talk to me and not assume that I would do certain things. If they'd asked one simple question, their concerns would be allayed and I wouldn't be worrying unnecessarily!


Perhaps I should have done that myself two months ago...but then I wasn't in a fit state for anything.

Ah well, looks like communication is beginning to be established on practical matters.


Talk, people, Talk!!!!

Men!!

Now the Oily One wont get his hair tidied and the Carpenter wont get a tooth filled at the dentist...

They are old enough to know better...but it hurts me to see them doing this.