Although it was only wet and windy yesterday, it had still felt stormy. And I had a difficult night when I found it hard to settle and sleep. The reason? Who knows!
So sleep was intermittent. I was desperate for a hot drink, around 04.30. Not a great time to be awake. However a cup of decaf settled me. And allowed some sleep catch up.
Today was a complete contrast to yesterday and the sun was shining, but it belied very chilly temperatures outside.
Neither H nor I was in a hurry to arise but there came a time when we could avoid getting up no longer.
We had a glorious walk in lovely sunshine, at Cholsey, and sat on the bench awhile, soaking up the brightness and the warmth. I approached our walk from a different parking spot due to a monthly market in the Great Hall, which would bring additional traffic and create parking problems.
My bench
A treat beckons
As I left and made my way home I met a very annoying 4×4 driver in single track Ferry Lane. There was a bit of an impasse- fee fault, definitely not mine. 🙁 You see, I knew that about 20m behind her was a layby she could easily reverse into. I also knew that I would have to reverse over 200m to find passing space. This the sort of impasse where SHE was clearly not going to reverse in her chunky 4×4 with its huge tyres. Did I mention the edges of the road are mud? Not a place to want to be stuck in a mere saloon car like mine. So I reversed. Deliberately, painfully slowly, just annoy her.
After watching me for a few minutes,she decided to show off her reversing skills. But I couldn’t see her because she was out of sight by now. So I Sat in my muddy layby waiting to see if she would appear. Which she did eventually.
As she made the familiar thank you gesture I contemplated a two fingered response but just ignored her.
Next annoyances were cyclist incidents. Now that cyclists have complete mastery of the roads, and can do no wrong, because any unfortunate incident, or worse, will always be the fault of the car driver, some of them display total arrogance. As did the stretched out very slow group of three cyclists making overtaking near impossible. They sometimes wobbled around towards the middle of the road warning me that they were in charge.
And the final incident: a cyclust hurtled towards me out of the dark trees by the Underhill turn. He was dressed completely in black, with no flashing light, so completely invisible. Luckily he was coming towards me.
I have long felt, in this country, some cyclists need to be more aware of their own safety. And take responsibility for it. And that, just as wearing a helmet is a legal requirement, so should wearing a neon or fluorescent chest over garment of some sort. Or similarly bright clothing.
Anyway, moans out of the way . I took H home and went to pick up F to take her to Wallingford. Her car is temporarily off the road thanks to some repairs required, thanks to the dishonesty of the seller his and the MOT provider. The DVSA have been informed and will receive photographs. The engine is great – the good news as are other things great .
I then found Waitrose car park an easy place to park for a change, so picked up the spices and fresh veg and fruit that I did not manage to get yesterday.
I came home, ate some of my purchases and enjoyed an extended snooze to make up for the previous night.
TV took over and I made sure I was in bed good n’early .
I have finished reading the Salt Path, a real book, as opposed to a Kindle format. A real read. The second and third books by Raynor Winn dropped by via Amazon yesterday. Along with a Victoria Hislop.
I envy those two their wild, very long trek and all the associated hardship. If only I could turn the clock back… as an ‘almost a student,’ in Israel, I endured similar days, in Wales and Greece too . But not as my way of life. I counted in days. And I usually had money, if not to food and washing facilities.
I wonder what tonight will bring?
Thought for the Day
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