Where Did The Time Go?

So, catching up. 

The weather continued wet for the majority of our time at Sandy Balls and we did little away from the campsite. What we did do, was to join the Gym for a week and had some, for us, strenuous sessions on the simpler machines there before our afternoon swimming time.

One evening last week I received a sad call from my sister, with the news that an old friend of mine had died. She was the younger sister of my boyfriend from my late teenage years.

The relationship with her brother was quite intense and lasted nearly 3 years. We saw each other almost every day, even though he lived about 12 miles away and I spent most weekends at their large country house. His sister and I became like sisters ourselves, doing so much together, even having a joint 16 and 18th birthday party.

I'd known the end was near for her, as even though she was living in America, family and friends were in touch and would pass on news of her battle with breast cancer.

That wasn't a good day for me, as on the same day, we discovered The Goddess had an oil leak. Bad enough in a car but this is our home. I was in a very dark place that evening, partly fearing for the immediate future and possible costs, which to be honest, after all the December vehicle expense, was a big worry but also I was transported back to those happy teenage years with feelings and memories to many to put down here.

We’d lost touch when I split up with her brother and married outside our circle of friends in 1973. Looking back at the 3 years when we were so close is like looking at a photo of a summer’s day in the middle of winter. I am not a poet, as will be obvious but I wanted to capture what the loss of Debbie meant to me.

Debbie.

Giggling secrets

Whispered confidences

Long, shiny, golden hair,

Endless tanned legs

Shortest of skirts

We wanted to make the boys stare

We were the teenagers

Everyone wanted to date

A carefree happy pair

That is how you will be

Forever in my mind

Life is so unfair.

How Times Change

No pretty pictures today, in fact I hadn't intended to post at all. 

The morning started bright and sunny, early on but quickly became grey and drizzly, so ideal for our plan of staying on-site, joining the Gym and then having a swim.

I just felt the need to record my thoughts on this, as it occurred to me, how the world has changed in my lifetime.

I was born in 1953, shortly before the Queen's Coronation. By the time I was old enough to remember, I would see bombsites in Birmingham, still not redeveloped. Everyone was still living with a post-war mentality, even though rationing was finished, folk were still very 'Make-Do-and-Mend'. Furniture was 'Utility' and horses were still sometimes seen making deliveries on carts.

My Grandmothers were born, one in the Victorian era and the other in the Edwardian. My Maternal Grandmother was an old woman and died, well before she reached the age I am now. My Paternal Grandmother was 69 when I was born and frankly, was ancient from when I first knew her and did little more than sit in a chair until her death at the age of 82, when I was a teenager.

What would these ladies think of me, now, almost 61. Living in and driving a large MotorHome. Working out at the Gym and swimming and in general behaving pretty much how I would have done in my 20's.

I wish I could bring them back and show them how life has changed for us all but in particular for women. 

I'd show them how their Great Grandaughter now lived in Germany and how I would fly there, on my own to visit. How I would drive, on my own, 350 miles to Scotland to visit my Son and his family. 

There is still a lot wrong with this world but we have seen some incredible changes.

Keyhaven

We had to cut short our walk yesterday at Milford on Sea, due to the weather but as today was just beautiful for a January day, we headed back to the coast, this time parking, as recommended by my friend Sue, at Keyhaven,  by The Gun Inn.

On a day like today, it would be hard to imagine a lovelier place to walk. The sun was warm on our faces, the sky was blue and reflecting in the still waters. The birds were calling, the Curlews giving out their haunting, melancholy cry and an Egret was putting on a balletlike performance of catching its lunch.

I'd have loved to have walked further but both Mike and the Dog were flagging and we'd only paid for 2 hours parking. But if we get any more days like today, we will be going back and for longer.

We arrived at midday and took Rowley for a short walk, just to get the measure of the place. Then we headed off to the Gun Inn, where my name was on a Crab Sandwich. On such a lovely Saturday, I knew the place was going to be packed by 1pm. And I was proved right, so just as well we went in at 12.15. 

Above, one of the many interesting artefacts at the pub.

The Gun is a lovely little 18th C pub, with a real fire. Crab is their specialty and something of a passion of mine. So no questions about what I was having for lunch and I wasn't disappointed.

After lunch we did an hour walk, towards Lymington, it was getting so warm, we both wished we didn't have our coats but that's a happy complaint in January.

When we returned to the Site, the Moon was putting on a daytime display again for us, so, would have been rude to not take a photo. 

A Traffic Jam But Not As We Know It!

The last forecast we heard was for a reasonable day today, weatherwise. As usual, they weren't quite right but at least it started dry.

We had decided on a trip via Lyndhurst to Milford on Sea where we'd walk Rowley between the sea and the fresh water lagoon.

We'd gone no more than 3 miles across part of The New Forest, which isn't forest, it's open common land. Up ahead cars were breaking and it looked to be a right kerfuffle, with vehicles crossing from one carriageway to another.

As we drew nearer the problem become obvious. There was some sort of meeting between some of the local, free roaming livestock and it was taking place in the middle of the road. In fact a couple of the cattle started copulating as they crossed the road. I've been in some traffic jams but this was the most unusual and by far the most entertaining.

By the time we reached the coast, the storm clouds were gathering and the walk was a lot shorter than intended. My eyes are still suffering from wind-burn this evening. However, it was a good walk and a good chance to take some '50 Shades of Grey' photos.

We just made it into a cafe, before the rain started and warmed ourselves up with drinks and a bowl of cheesy chips, then headed back to Sandy Balls, for a swim and a warm in the Jacuzzi and Sauna.

Fordingbridge

Today dawned bright and calm and seemed like a good opportunity to try the walk down into Fordingbridge, which is about a mile and a half from where we are parked. Situated on the River Avon, its name gives a hint that it’s a town liable to a bit of flooding and has been appearing on Radio 2’s Traffic reports for the last couple of days for a road closure.

We found we could walk a good part of the way through Sandy Balls, past the timber chalets and a residential area of the site. They are in such a lovely setting with the most beautiful views, I’m feeling quite tempted to sell up and move here, it certainly looks like a good way of life.

It was apparent, before we descended the hill that the valley was still flooded, so there was a possibility we wouldn’t actually get to the town.

The weather seemed to be changing with the ticking of time, one second sunny, then some cloud, then dark and even a few spots of rain and the bitterly cold wind got up before we returned home.

At the bottom of the hill, after we joined the road, the flooding was still there but just about passable for us, with a little bit of paddling. We were both wearing our walking boots. What an investment! You can’t walk long distances in wellingtons but I bought both Mike and I ankle height, proper walking boots. Not cheap but never regretted. They seem to help walking by giving a more purposeful stride, they are more stable on uneven ground and waterproof when walking in muddy, or really wet ground.

Having reached the town Mike found a Barber’s and went and had his hair cut! Yes, he agreed to have it cut and it has taken years off him. He would love to grow his hair long but it grows in the oddest shapes and it really doesn’t suit him long. And when it comes down to it, it’s me that has to look at him and he can’t see the back of his head.

The walk back was a slog, that is one steep hill but it must have done us some good, so we could have tea and Ginger Cake, without feeling too guilty.

Back on the Site, I saw my first Snowdrops of the year, it would be lovely to think this is the start of Spring but no doubt Mother Nature has a few tricks up her sleeve yet.

A bit of housekeeping was needed when we got back, emptying the waste water and refilling the fresh tank. While I was out turning on the tap, I noticed we had a bright, half moon, in a beautiful blue sky, so grabbed my tripod and took a couple of photos. I used the maximum 30 x Zoom and then cropped the photo on the laptop, to bring the moon’s image up larger. It’s amazing what you can capture with a fairly ordinary camera, which the naked eye can’t see.

Storm Surge

Well, I couldn't be this near to the coast and not go and see the waves, could I? I have loved the sea from my first childhood holiday. So today we drove down to Christchurch, although at times it looked more like driving through the sea, rather than countryside. So many fields are flooded and at times running onto the roads.

We headed to Avon Beach, as we went there in November and knew we could easily park. It was worth the trip. The sound of the waves booming onto the beach and sea wall was exciting and the wind certainly blew the cobwebs away.

I did wonder about the sanity of the wind surfer!

The Festive Season

So Christmas and New Year were spent at home. Living in a not large house, with five people wasn’t easy, with different meals at different times, plus 7 cats and a huge dog. The weather was dreadful, so not much of a chance to get out on the long walks we’ve become used to and I had some sort of gastric bug for the best part of a week.

Getting back on the road, with that ever present proximity to the great outdoors, was looked forward to with relish.

First stop was a night at Bath, to see Mike’s daughter and her family, her husband was cooking us one of his excellent Chicken Thai Green Curries. We had a lovely evening and much laughter over old family events and photos, of which this is one. Chloe, who is now almost 19, was in hysterics over this one of her sitting on my lap.

I look like the Cuprinol Man!!

Saturday the 4^th January saw us on our way to Sandy Balls, in the New Forest. The rain seemed to have forgotten how to stop. Rivulets were running down most roads and dips were developing into pools, ponds, lakes even. We had to queue for some time, as traffic took it in turns to get through the shallowest part of this flood under a railway bridge. Some smaller cars had to turn round, knowing they wouldn’t make it.

Then we had a rainbow when we got to the Site.

The hour and a half journey took just over 2 hours and everywhere, the landscape was turning into a vast, watery waste.

Thankfully, Sandy Balls is on a hill, high above the River Avon, so as long as we could get there, we had no fears about the site being flooded.

As if we hadn’t seen enough water, as soon as we’d got set up, we took ourselves off to the swimming pool, with the added benefit of a sauna.

We are here for two weeks, time to relax and walk and swim off a few of those Christmas extra calories.

Today is the 6^th January and we only managed a shortish walk, due to the rain clouds that keep blowing up but from the viewpoints here, it was interesting to see just how flooded the river valley is.  Fingers crossed for an improvement in the weather later in the week, as forecasted.