Tuesday 23rd February

 Tuesday 23rd February

The phone took a while to dry out but I'm happy to say that the watermarks have all disappeared and the camera seems ok too. 

We have had a mix of weather with some lovely days like this one,

and some more wind and rain - just normal I guess!

It's about the only thing that is I suppose.

                                           

                Someone gave me these hyacinths - they have come out over the last few days and the scent is lovely.

Another damp day followed with more strong winds, the Cot valley is usually sheltered which is welcome relief.

There are signs of spring, these velvety soft willow buds were lovely to see.

I went down to Cape the next day and the sea was rough. The wind still whipping the spray back over them. 

Some of the waves were at least 10' 

I've been enjoying the early morning walk, having breakfast when I get home. On Sunday it had to be a speedy walk to be back in time for the family zoom.

The waves were still great and I wondered why there were cars parked at Cape at 8am (I'm usually the only one around bar dog walkers).

Then I spotted the surfers!

I got back in time  for our usual chat... everyone is fine - it's always lovely to catch up.

Then it was time to bake some bread. 

The walking is definitely helping me, and I seem to be doing more too.

Yesterday Lindsay drove over and we walked to Botallack. The forecast had been for sunshine and that is what we got. It was glorious.

We took a flask of coffee and headed beyond the Crown's Mines to the headland where I watched the fulmars.

As we stood looking down on the mines there was maybe a raven flying acrobatically near us. It would suddenly flip on to it's back like a jet doing a roll!

Fabulous to watch. I'm hoping Alastair will advise, it made a deep 'aark' sound - it wasn't chough or jackdaw, it was bigger but I'm not sure if it was big enough for a raven? (In fact it was part of a pair.) It was the acrobat flight that was remarkable.  It repeated the action in the same place, I wondered if they had a nest nearby or is that a bit early?

We stopped out on the headland where I'd enjoyed watching the fulmars and it was good to see them again.

The waves were breath-taking.

We drank our coffee with this view!

Then we climbed out on to the end and sat there a while. We thought we'd better set off back but still sat there looking it to sea. We said it was like being abroad and suddenly Lindsay spotted dolphins! She saw them three times heading along the coast towards Pendeen, along the swell line. Unfortunately I wasn't quick enough to spot them but it was a fabulous extra to the walk. 

Today has reverted to grey and damp and strong winds (enough to blow me off balance a few times on the exposed parts of the path).

The cliff at Cot seems to be getting worse and worse, it looks like there is more to come down too so guess it will remain unstable for a while.

There is a lot of water in the stream still.

And finally, the camellias are a real picture at the moment!

Keith had the Pfizer jab last week and had very few side effects. The family are all fine and Mr Johnson has announced a slow re-opening of things. 

Schools go back on March 8th which is when we will be allowed to meet up with someone else outside for coffee for example ( at the moment you can only meet up with one person for exercise only).

Golf will not return until the end of March and hospitality a month or so later. 

Our rates have reduced in Cornwall to about 40/100,000 so we are definitely making progress but it is very tough for businesses.

Weds 17th Feb

Progress 

There is progress to report...yesterday I had my first dose of the the Astra Zeneca vaccine :-)

Tim had had his last week and said he'd felt alright and I have been the same. Slight soreness on the injection sight and a bit heavy legged but so far so good.

I'm just back from an early walk - got a bit wet again ( it's brightened up now) but heavy rain due later  so thought it would be good to do it early.

I mentioned about trying to re-set my sleeping pattern... progress there too as I'm waking up naturally now just before 7am and after a cup of tea get up and get on with things. Definitely feels better having a wake up time and a walk every day!

Looking back at my photos we had a very cold snap with icy conditions and a bitter wind - almost Iceland cold in the wind. At night I was wearing a hat and doubled up on duvets!

Leki has been an excellent companion!

I have been using Tim's jacket after my purple coat was so useless. I found it in the cupboard upstairs - he left it when he went to Korea - and it is so warm (and so far totally waterproof!) so it has had several outings.

One was first thing birth-day morning! I could walk along the road avoiding the icy bits,

and just went up past the cemetery and along the track there.

There's a fabulous granite outcrop, the snow clung to the east facing surfaces.

  

The path was crunchy with ice but fortunately flat so not slippy!

The rest of the day was spent with lovely long chats with each of the 'babes' and surprise deliveries!

A fabulous 1000 piece jigsaw of the Northern Lights...

these flowers - so beautiful and since I took this pic the irises and the lilies have opened. 

A rainbow of colours.

Bronwen turned up with a bottle of a delightful sauvignon blanc...and then this hamper arrived!

So along with all the lovely cards I had a lovely day and felt very cared for.

The south-easterly wind has led to some beautiful waves at Cape with the spray arcing away. Over the next couple of days the waves were about 10' high with spray blowing half way up the Cape!

But sadly it was at  this point I tried to 'teach my phone to swim' in David's words!

Well...I dropped it in the loo...and since then have had it in a bag of rice and tucked up in teatowels on my oven top.

I love blue flowers!

It's working but the camera lenses have condensation in them... 

and the screen has some watermarks on it so I'm keeping up with the rice treatment and keeping fingers crossed.

I switch  it off and return it to the rice bag as much as I can - just checking it now and then.

When I took the phone for a walk yesterday afternoon... there was a pretty sunset... but the haze is in the lens!

Anyway - it's shown me how much I use it - often unnecessarily - so it's done me good. Also, it's the first time I've ever damaged a phone so I think I have been fortunate over the years!

All the family are fine and Keith has his jab on Friday so definitely things are progressing. 

We have a long way to go and unfortunately some are already lobbying for everything to reopen because our rates are dropping. I hope Mr Johnson resists that call as we still have more in hospital with Covid than at the height of the first wave.

Cornwall's rates have dropped to 69/100,000 which is encouraging.  

Monday 8th Feb

 Monday 8th Feb

I'm not long back from a morning walk and thought I'd update you though things are largely the same!

The last week or so has been very damp so it is lovely to see the sun today.

The cloud bank out to sea is being held there by a strong high pressure area to the east of us so we have strong, cold easterly wind which has brought snow to parts of the east of England but none here yet!

So looking back over the last week or so... the dampness... when I set off it was foggy/misty and i wondered if I should take a brolly but decided it would stay foggy and it'd be alright!

How wrong I was, by the time I came across the flowering garlic (triangular leek) the fog had turned to mizzle... then drizzle...

and then proper rain. 

And it rained and rained.

Streams ran down the side of the road and the puddles were huge!

Every now and then there would be a glimmer of lightness in the distance but it didn't materialise till I was back home when the sky turned blue!

 

I was soaked through but it was worth it, I hadn't been out for a couple of days and needed the adventure!

I managed a trip to the dentist the following day but had to use one of Tim's jackets because my coat was still dripping wet in the bathroom!

It remained dull and damp for a couple more days but not quite as wet.

I had a lovely walk down the Cot Valley where the stream was bank-full.

Once again it was good to get out in the fresh air.

Inmarsat were making redundancies and Bridgie needed to apply for her job again. a few days lapsed before she heard that she had got it. That was good news but a difficult time for her friends and colleagues at work. 

Tim also had good news as he passed his Personal Training exam (8 hours worth!) with a distinction and has also just completed a TEFL course. 

Our family zoom times are always entertaining...Keith is hiding in the top right space!

Walking less means I am definitely feeling less fit, but also a knock on is not being able to get to sleep easily. Most days last week  it has been one or 2 am before I've got to sleep :-( and then of course  I wake up later!

So I am going to try and reset my body clock and start to keep an earlier wake up time so hopefully I won't be doing sudukos at 1am!

I've loved watching the golf and skiing - and am attempting to crochet something... watch this space!

I'm not expecting to be back on the course aby time soon but it's lovely to see the work that the 'boys' are doing to keep things in trim!