Monday 19th September 2016

Location:-

Lustleigh.

Activities:-

Mainly hanging out- waiting for fridge repair man, Jeremy going to doctors - lovely relaxing time.  Little walk up the lanes.

Nature:-

Young Buzzard on a branch.

Weather:-

Cold and drizzling, macs.

People:-

Has to be the freezer repair man who got us going again (although without a 240v option) and, of course, little Oscar!

Food:-

Home cooking and nice wine.

Jim:-

Disgraced himself chasing cats and crushing Gill's Romanian blown painted eggs!

Feelings:-

Irritable and tired.

Highlights:-

Fridge/freezer fixed - fingers crossed.

Friday 16th September

Location:-

Slimbridge - on the road to Dartmoor.

Activity:-

Meeting and greeting 32 adults and 8 babies at the Woodfields.  That is the family of Susie from Texas and Biddy from Suffolk and the occasion was to celebrate the great grandparents 65th wedding anniversary and their 90th birthdays.  Family members came from international destinations.

Weather:-

Warm and sunny with shorts and tee-shirts.

People:-

Hundreds of Woodfields!

Food:-

Cooked by hostel chef!

Ailments:-

Swollen ankle.

Feelings:-

Anticipation, anxiety.

Highlight:-

Seeing Susie.

Lowlight:-

Fridge/freezer in Buzz no longer working! Little sleep.

Sunday 18th September 2016

Location:-

Okehampton to Lustleigh.

Activities:-

Photographs in the sunshine, clearing up the hostel, saying farewell, hello to Lustleigh and walking around Gill and Jeremy's beautiful garden, playing with Oscar.

Weather:-

Sunny getting chilly later, jackets at the ready.

People:-

Woodfields depart, hello to Jeremy, Gill , Beth and baby Oscar (6 months).

Food:-

Giving my 5 packs of defrosting, beautiful, beautiful moussaka lovingly cooked by sister Sue for the journey, to Susie for the family to eat at home!

Activities:-

Feelings of exhaustion - the emotions catching up with me.

Highlights:-

As we tried to park the van on a hill side by the side of a narrow lane in Lustleigh, Jeremy's friend Richard drove out of his drive and said we could park in his drive!

Lowlights:-

Giving away the Moussaka.

Saturday 17th September 2016

Location:-

Okehampton youth hostel.

Activity:-

Ecuadorian breakfast, chatting, walking towards the tor, eating and entertainment.

Weather:-

Beautiful day, trousers and long sleeves.

Food:-

Ecuadorian breakfast, celebration dinner.

Ailments:-

Sore ankle, worked on by John by hurting a pressure point on my finger!

Highlight:-

John playing violin.

Lowlight:-

Very fretful sleep.

Wednesday 14th September 2016

Location:-

Hebden Bridge to Slimbridge.

Activity:-

Intense cleaning, sorting and packing. Left at 4pm four hours late due to Jan's loss of iPhone. Drove effortlessly to destination, slept too tired to make bed - pillowcases only!

Wildlife/nature:-

Cones on motorways.

Weather and attire:-

Warm and sunny- nightie all day so as not to get any clothes dirty trousers and 3 quarter sleeves.

Food:-

Pizza in Morrisons car park, the best outside Italy in Todmorden opposite Waterside Carehome.

Ailments:-

Hangover, swollen feet and Janman grumpy, Jan knackered.

Jim:-

Patient.

Feelings:-

Wrecked, fragile, tired.

Thursday 15th September 2016

Location:-

Slimbridge, Gloucestershire.

Activity:-

Sleeping in. Walk on the canal. Bike ride to the shop. First ride on my bike (that Janman has restored) since 1995 in Spalding.

Nature:-

Wild hops and juicy blackberries on the canal side, Swan cygnets and Peregrine Falcon overhead.

Weather and attire:-

Warm and sunny, vest and shorts.

 People:-

Nice man in van next door, permanent pitch and works in Stroud. Chatty couple from Derbyshire on canal.  Andy from canal trust operating swing bridge. Later Ruth for a glass of wine and even later Alan joined us for dinner in the pub.

Food:-

Buying beautiful plums and tomatoes at a garden gate.

Ailments:-

Swollen ankle, aching thighs, sore bum.  Janman a little less grumpy.

Jim:-

Puzzled but chilled.

Feelings:-

Shared our fears - irritable.

Tuesday 20th September

Location
Lustleigh to Brighton.

Activities
Long journey in Buzz, traffic increased as we journeyed eastwards, beautiful scenery, eventual arrival in Brighton.

Weather
Warm, trousers and a gillet.

People
Beautiful meet up with Brighton Pals. Helen and Lucy picked us up from the campsite and took us to the Watchmakers Arms.  Lovely micro pub, run by a guy who knew the first child I received into care! Bought up in Blean near Canterbury!  Then a jolly crowd with David and Stephen.

Food
The best fish and chips, hake and tartare sauce!

Jim
Lovely walk through the woods but a downhill day after that!

Highlight
Sitting outside the chip shop for hours - belly full of beer and chips and laughing with our Brighton Belles. Good celebration for our 35th anniversary! Where did the years go?

Lowlight
Campsite pokey rules!