Wildlife In The Rain And Thinking Of Fathers

 We came back yesterday from another lovely few days in the caravan. The weather was dreadful, heavy rain, and the caravan and field were shrouded in a low mist that was really eerie. With only one other campervan in the field we walked our dogs around the field and adjacent lane and then sat inside watching the wild birds. We had taken all our food as we had seen the weather forecast and I cooked some lovely meals on the little gas cooker, which rivals our own cooker at home for how well it works. I'm sure we would have got fed up with the rain if it had been so heavy for all our holiday but for a few days it felt cosy and warm, sitting inside listening to it battering on our caravan roof. There were so many swallows in the field we were convinced one would hit our van they were flying so low but they seemed to be too skilled at flying to do this.

We had flocks of starlings descending on the quiet field as well as a resident woodpecker. It was a real pleasure to sit and watch them. 

You can just see George the horse on the left in the top photo. We were getting really attached to him by the end of the two weeks and although Tom's holiday is finished and he is back at work tomorrow we are hoping to go back there when he has days off again in 10 days time. It was lovely to come home though and see youngest son and daughter and catch up with all the chat again.

 I spoke to eldest daughter on the phone who was feeling totally disheartened with trying to move house. They had been looking forward to seeing a beautiful house yesterday that had only just gone on the market. The estate agent called to tell them that although the owners had already accepted an offer they wanted to carry on with people viewing it to "See how it goes". They declined the offer of viewing it as it all seems so underhand. Imagine if they had put in an offer that had been accepted then a while later as they were preparing to move in, were told it had been sold to someone with a higher offer. They have decided they will try to forget about moving for the next few months and wait and see how things go with the property market, which at the moments is definitely all going in the sellers favour.

One of the things Tom and I have talked about in the last few weeks, while we were at the caravan was trying to spend more time tracing Tom's Welsh roots on his Dad's side. Tom is really keen to find out more about his Dad's family and embrace his Welsh roots (could it be because Wales are doing well in the Euros!) as he knows nothing at all. His Dad died a few years after we got married in 1982 and all Tom knows is he settled and married in London as a young man during the Second World War. He didn't even know his grandparents names, although he knew his Dad had sisters. Tom still misses his Dad and sadly there is no one left alive to ask. With one of the most common names in Wales it has been a challenge but I have found his Dad's birth in Newport, South Wales and have ordered his birth certificate last night. Tom is really excited to find out more about relatively close family, he knows nothing about and it felt a bit like an extra Father's Day present for him.

I'm meeting my sister this morning and we are going to see my Dad for Father's Day and have lunch with him, which will be lovely. This afternoon eldest daughter and Scarlett are coming round and later we have a lovely dinner planned. I'm really looking forward to the day and I hope everyone has a lovely day too. I know there will be lots of people feeling sad today who have lost their fathers, like Tom, and I'm particularly sending them lots of love and best wishes. xx

Relaxing Off Grid And Bats

We arrived back from the caravan yesterday afternoon for a couple of days. We felt rested, tanned and ready for anything! Our enthusiasm was slightly  dampened when we arrived home to discover the foxes had ripped the lid right off our food waste bin and rubbish was strewn every where. Youngest son and daughter hadn't had time to clear it up before they left for work (or so they said!) so I had to start sweeping the path as soon as I returned. When I got inside the house though my spirits were soon lifted by a wonderful chatty letter from my lovely cousin waiting for me. What is it about letters that are so special now? Reading her chatty letter with all her news felt so exciting. Technology has taken over our lives and although there is a lot of good in technology, I have definitely realised this past week there is a lot not so good. We had virtually no internet access at the caravan. I managed to post a few photos on Instagram but just had to post them and leave my phone and they could take hours uploading. A lot of the time we had no mobile signal either, I started by feeling a bit anxious about it but then kept reminding myself that before all this technology most of us were completely uncontactable on holiday. As an older teenager, at home with my sister when my Mum and Dad started to take some holidays on their own, we heard nothing from them for two weeks, the only contact we had was a postcard that usually arrived on the day they arrived home! We survived fine so how have we become so obsessed with keeping in contact all the time. 

The day before we left yesterday we went for another long walk with the dogs to Bewl Water. We went really early just after nine as it was so warm and walked all morning. When we arrived back at the caravan and I was getting lunch ready, the dogs were all so relaxed and tired, it made me realise that everyday life takes it toll on animals too. They have loved this caravan life.

After lunch I settled my self down on the sun lounger with my book for a guilt free afternoon doing nothing! There is something about that just sitting, on holiday that I could never do at home, there always seems to be so much to catch up with. A new couple in a very smart campervan arrived at the site and Tom turned his chair round so he could watch all the shenanagans! They spent a long time setting up all their electronic devices and a satellite dish but then realised they couldn't get any internet access. The owners of the site were summoned and after much discussion the van was all packed up again and the owners of another campervan who were parked closer to the house kindly swapped with them. Apparently if you are close to the owners house you can get get access to the internet. Tom gave me a running commentary of the entire proceedings, while I lay on the sun lounger reading and feigning interest. By the time they had set up again they were practically in the toilet block but they seemed happy and they both spent the rest of the afternoon sitting looking at their mobile phones. When I walked over to the toilet that evening, they were in the middle of loudly face timing someone and showing them round their campervan. They were so jolly and friendly stopping their phone conversation to chat to me, with their large glasses of red wine, I couldn't help but warm to them, but it did seem a bit of a shame they weren't really enjoying their beautiful surroundings more.

There is a lot of good on the internet, but I can't help but think life was simpler and less stressful without it, or was it because I was younger then so of course life was less stressful. Tom and I have talked a lot about simplifying our life and our plans for the future, but I also am not going to fall into the trap of not enjoying today. Even on the busiest of days there always seems to be something to enjoy. Youngest daughter couldn't wait to tell me, that over the last few evenings, she has seen bats flying around some large trees near our garden. she said as she was looking out, with her window open around nine o'clock she spotted them. Her old school, just down the road is a listed old building and they often had bats flying around if we went to events on summer evenings so I suppose it is not to far for them to travel. We can't wait to try and film them. 

I have just about forgiven the foxes for all the mayhem they caused. Youngest son is convinced it was not our pair, as they would be too discerning after the wonderful diet they normally get to raid mouldy old food waste bins. I'm having a garden day today, youngest daughter has been religiously watering it while we have been away and left unchecked everything has got really wild, so I better have a bit of a tidy up. That's before I even start on the house! Sigh, I miss my sun lounger! Have a lovely day everyone, what ever you are doing. xx

A Family Day

 We had a wonderful day at the caravan yesterday. Eldest and youngest daughters and Scarlett came for the whole day. We had really been looking forward to it and apparently Scarlett had barely slept the night before she was so excited. We were so lucky again with the weather and when we arrived we spent the morning showing Scarlett the horses, chickens, dogs and cat at the caravan site. The owners have four dogs including a spaniel puppy, an elderly cat, a Shire horse and ten chickens and a cockerel. The chickens free range all over the caravan site and even come and look in the caravan door so for an animal loving little girl like Scarlett it was just the best day. We sat and ate our lunch outside the caravan watching them and Scarlett chose names for them all, including the cockerel who she called The King! 

After lunch we went for a walk with Cassie, we walked through the woods and down lanes to a field of horses where we stood and stroked them for a long time. It was so quiet it felt as if we were in a different world to home. Along the lane there was a field of llama's, Scarlett was disappointed they wouldn't come over like the horses had as she was longing to stroke them too. I have no idea if llamas become tame enough to be stroked, but these ones just ignored us. 

It was lovely to be together and so relaxed. Eldest daughter particularly has a really stressful job and it was wonderful to see her chatting and laughing and catching up with her sister. I'm sure Scarlett will always look back on this day happily. I tidied up the caravan before we left and I thought how quickly you can get a small space back to normal. We left it all ready for Tom and I to go back to today.

Scarlett chatted the whole way home, we thought she would fall asleep but she wanted to talk about the entire day! When we had dropped them off and we arrived home youngest daughter and I walked down to the Co-op to buy a few bits and we had to go back as youngest daughter had forgotten her mask. She normally wears her mask round her neck all the time when she goes out, to pull up when she needs it, "I completely forgot about it" she said. I did think it really summed up how we had felt all day. 

  I hope everyone who is lucky enough to be enjoying this lovely weather manages to stay cool if you are out and about or having to work in it. Have a lovely Sunday everyone. Back soon. xx

At The Caravan Site And A Trip To Bewl Water

 What a beautiful part of the world it is along the Kent, East Sussex border. I have visited there lots of times but in the last few days have completely fallen in love with it. Thank you so much to everyone for wishing me well on our break away, your best wishes have obviously worked as with the sunshine and countryside it feels as if we have arrived in paradise. The area may even be overtaking Scarborough for me! We have popped home for a couple of days to catch up with a few commitments and look after Scarlett tomorrow but I'm missing it so much already.

Our little corner of the field is so peaceful. As it has been very warm we have been sleeping with the caravan windows open at night. In the morning I lie there, breathing in the fresh air coming in the window and I can hear a cockerel crowing in the distance. It is the only sound I can hear apart from the birds singing. 

All we have done is walked the dogs and sat and relaxed. We visited a place called Bewl Water which is a reservoir in The Bewl Valley which straddles the Kent, Sussex border. It was constructed in the 1970s  and supplies water to many of the towns around the area. It was so beautiful, we had one of the nicest walks we have ever had with the dogs. 

There is boating, water sports and fishing or you could hire a bike and cycle or walk the full 12 1/2 miles around the perimeter. It was a perfect way to spend a morning.

By the time we got back to the caravan we were all exhausted but a nice exhausted. The dogs are really enjoying the outside life and being with us all the time. I just wish I could replicate this life, in every day life. 

Our internet connection is terrible, I managed to post some photos on Instagram but they took about an hour to upload and pages just won't load. However very quickly I realised that was part of the benefits of being here, no TV, no internet, what coronavirus? There is also a poor little crow that can't fly very well. We have called it Master Crow and Tom drove down to the local Co-Op to buy some sausage rolls to give it. So it is just like being at home really! Have a lovely day everyone. Back soon. xx

A Room With A View

 We took the caravan yesterday morning down some of the prettiest but narrowest little lanes in Kent and East Sussex yesterday without any real mishaps. The little Caravan Club Certified Location site we are staying on is beautiful! Certified locations are very small caravan sites set up by farmers or people with land who are allowed to have up to five caravans on site at one time. This one is so spacious and we have our own electricity hook up. The really kind helpful man who runs the site had chosen us an area at the end under the trees so it would be shady for our dogs. It is one of the most spacious pitches we have ever had. The only slight downside is the internet access is rather sketchy but that is quite nice in one way as I have books and sun lounger! For the first few days we are just going to relax and walk the dogs.

We have a totally private area next to the hedge where we can sit outside and eat our meals if the weather is nice. All you can hear are the birds singing. After all the effort of getting it, we couldn't bring ourselves to put up the awning as it would block our beautiful view. This is the view we look out of the caravan to. The only houses we can see are a few typical Kentish Oast houses that are dotted all over the place in the area. 

I'm going to take lots of photos of the area and our caravan inside and out over the next few weeks but I may have to wait until we pop back home for a day to post them online because of problems with the internet in the area. I hope everyone has a really lovely Sunday and manages to enjoy some sunshine. xx