January

January was a full month, lots going on but activity curtailed in the middle of the month when we both went down with an exhausting flu-type bug. I didn't take the opportunity to rest with the result that I still don't feel up to full strength yet - a lesson to be learned there, trying to keep going and ignoring the tiredness and cold symptoms doesn't seem to work for me as I get older, must slow down and rest.

A couple of weeks ago we spent a weekend in Edinburgh visiting our youngest son. The weather was bright and sunny and we managed a short walk in the Pentland Hills. This was the most snow I have seen so far this winter!

It was a glorious day to be out, wonderful to have access to the countryside so close to the city.

Back down in the city, a closer view towards the castle from Princes Street gardens.

Glimpses of the back of some of the buildings of the Royal Mile through the trees

and down at ground level, the first snowdrops

and a relatively tame urban rabbit!

Back at home we had several cold days,

no snow but very heavy frosts that lasted all day.

The water running from the fields froze on the lane making the daily walk more treachorous than usual.

This last weekend we went to the south coast for the day. It is a year since my father-in-law died and we wanted to visit the crematorium. We left home early and enjoyed a walk by the sea.

The beach huts are all closed up at this time of the year

but still look attractive against the hill.

Even in January the plants form a softly coloured tapestry of different textures.

Finally a hint that spring isn't too far away, the seaside daisy, Erigeron glaucous, blooming alongside the promenade.

reflecting

Hello, after another lengthy pause on the blog. This has been a year when my attention has been fragmented across different issues and family members and consequently blogging has fallen by the wayside.

My father spent a couple of weeks in hospital at the end of last month and I stayed with my mother who has been diagnosed with Alzeimer's disease. My father is now back at home, well, but a little more confused than before so as you can imagine the situation is a very fragile one.

I have been trying to sort out some care for them which is proving difficult as they are both independent types who assure me they can cope on their own without help - not an easy situation.

The last few days have been quiet here though that may change as we feel the effects of the edge of the storms forecast for the north of the country.

Quiet seems appropriate for this solstice time of year, the darkest time, a time to withdraw and reflect. We are a small family and our Christmas is very low-key so I don't have to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the festival.

Sometimes I think that we make it just a bit too quiet, it can feel as if we are the only ones not invited to the party! Generally though I like the empty time at the end of the year.

2016 has been a difficult year for us, starting with the death of my father-in-law, followed by my husband breaking his leg, some job issues for our children and now the illness of my parents. I contemplate the best way to cope with the situation. Obviously I want to help, but such help has to be sustainable. Trying to balance caring and helping my parents with working, looking after my home, my immediate family and my own health is not easy.

I am going for walks in the countryside, taking photographs and trying to slow down as the year comes to an end.

I am hoping to blog more regularly next year. Introspection and withdrawal can lead to loss of connection and I value the connections I have made through this blog which is almost ten years old. Walking and photography are important ways to relax for me and the blog is a good place to record my pictures and thoughts.

I particularly like the photograph below taken during the darkest time of the year but showing fresh new shoots on the honeysuckle, appropriate as we head away from the winter solstice to longer brighter days ahead.

I'd like to wish everyone a Happy Christmas and a calm and peaceful 2017.

A misty walk

Saturday dawned bright and sunny, a beautiful morning and I decided to drive a little way to a hill with good views for my walk. As it was such a nice day I packed a flask of coffee in my rucksack.

As I got nearer I drove into the mist and by the time I had parked the car it was quite dense. Power lines faded into the distance

and trees became visible only as I walked towards them.

It felt quite eerie.

The cobwebs on the wheat were pretty.

The shapes of the trees were silhouetted against grey nothingness.

I stopped for my coffee but there was no view.

It was a bit chilly too, first time for mitts this autumn.

Then, as I walked back to the car, slowly the mist  lifted.

It was magical as more and more of the countryside came into view.

By the time I reached the car it was clear.

I have been feeling a bit foggy myself lately. August has been good, I have some holiday photos to post, but underlying worries about ageing parents and their deteriorating health are never far from my mind. Living at a  distance from family members is not easy and I hope we can sort out some solutions to the situation. I must remind myself that this time will pass and we will get something in place in the same way that the mist clears away on a foggy day.

goodbye March

Here we are in April. March was a trying month and although the start of April is only a date on the calendar, I'm hoping that it is a fresh start.

With my father-in-law passing away in February and all the admin that entails, my husband being diagnosed with calcific tendonitus which is a painful shoulder condition reducing the amount of movement in the joint (no driving) and work being busy/stressful for all the family,  March didn't get off to a good start.

We decided a family holiday would benefit everybody and our sons joined us for a week in the Brecon Beacons the week before Easter.

It started well. On the second day the weather was fine and clear and we walked up in the mountains.

 Fine mild weather,

stunning views

and then on the way back down to the carpark, my husband tripped and fell breaking his leg  and ankle (four breaks in total). He is still unsure how it happened, a well maintained path, fine conditions, the correct footwear and clothing - just one of those things.

Mountain rescue were brilliant, giving him oxygen, pain relief, strapping up his leg and carrying him off the mountain on a stretcher.

He was then taken by ambulance to hospital where he had surgery and stayed for ten days. Not the holiday we planned.

I stayed in the holiday cottage with our sons, visiting the hospital in the afternoon and evening.

We made the most of the days exploring the Brecon area. Then towards the end of the week, youngest son picked up the sickness and diarrhoea bug that was rife in the hospital. He could no longer visit his father in hospital and at the end of the week I was glad when the three of us were safely home and husband was being looked after in hospital.

I planned to return and stay in a hotel near the hospital but then oldest son and I went down with the sickness bug. After the required 48 hours had passed I drove back down to Wales and checked into a hotel hoping for a few quiet days to recover. The pressure on hospital beds meant that my husband was released the next day so still feeling rather fragile myself, I drove him home.

So that is where we are at the start of April. There is a lot to sort out with transferring care to here, fracture clinic appointments, physiotherapy etc over the next few weeks but hopefully things are improving. Well I thought that until I pulled my back unlacing my walking shoes yesterday (what?, how?!) and I am now shuffling around the house rather stiffly - my body may be trying to tell me to slow down but that doesn't seem possible right now.

A quick trip to the supermarket for some healthy food and then a quiet weekend I think.

I'll sign off with this photograph taken near the canal at Brecon, good advice in the circumstances.

A weekend away

Last weekend we went to Devon to see my parents. I think I have mentioned before that they now feel that they want just a short visit of an hour or two, anything longer creates a lot of anxiety. We do as they wish but it always seems a long way to go for so short a time. We try to make a weekend of it and squeeze in some time at the coast.

This is Budleigh Salterton in East Devon. I grew up in Somerset and this is somewhere I have been coming for most of my life and on the surface it seems unchanged over the years.

On the beach,  freshly caught fish for sale. There was a steady trade and the gulls were interested in any trimmings as the fish were prepared for sale.

This young gull was tackling a starfish.

Another view of the beach. In the summer there are pastel coloured beach huts along side the beach, it looks different in the winter with uninterrupted views of the beach.

We visited Mum and Dad on Saturday afternoon and then again on Sunday morning before making our way home.

We take the A303 home and often try to find somewhere new on the way to stop and explore. This time we chose Shaftesbury. It was very quiet on a Sunday afternoon with the shops closed but it looked as if it would be a bustling sort of place at other times. We had a coffee before strolling round the town.

Good views over the surrounding countryside.

We followed a path down to the bottom of Gold Hill, made famous by the Hovis TV advert.

This is the view looking up,

a few of the cottages

and the famous view looking down.

We noticed that there were no television aerials or satellite dishes - perhaps there are regulations against these being visible.

As you can see from the photographs, there was nobody about - the benefit of playing tourist out of season.

There are two museums open in the spring and summer. The Gold Hill museum which sounds quite interesting and also the grounds of the Abbey and the Abbey museum. I'd like to make a return visit when these are open - might not be so peaceful on the hill then though.