DRAW RESULT AT LAST

We have the internet, the phone AND the Polo back, all on the same day. Things are looking up. I've felt bereft without the internet - far more than the phone, which is rather worrying. I realise I do pretty much everything online. I had to go down into Chagford on Tuesday to use my Mum's i-pad for the grocery shopping rather than actually make the journey to the shop. In my defense, the shop is over twenty miles away. I'm sceptical as to how long the internet will last so I'm getting a quick post in before it disappears again. 

This morning OB wrote a sweet little sign in his rather eccentric handwriting, and drew out the winner who is...........

Congratulations Cait (http://caitsphotos.blogspot.co.uk/), the cards will be on their way as soon as you send me your address. Shameful fraying on OB's school jumper; he shreds it with his teeth during lessons and I haven't got round to hemming it yet. He is not alone in doing this I'm glad to say.

While I've been away, there have been few opportunities to take pictures thanks to the weather. I have rarely been so glad to live on high ground. We may be getting the same amount of rain or snow, but at least it drains down into the streams and rivers. We are so lucky not to be flooded as so many are. Water can be such a force for calm and yet so destructive too. I did happen to have the camera with me as I set out on a seemingly sunny afternoon. Ten minutes later, this happened:

Ten minutes after that:

I took these in Trigger's paddock one evening. Incidentally, I just had a phone call from our neighbours who own said paddock, telling me he seemed to have escaped into the next door field. My fault.....I forgot to close the gate properly last night....oops.

One day in the week, I can't remember which, we had a sunny walk with no rain whatsoever. Miraculous. The paths were still like streams though:

Very strong winds visible only through the medium of Snippet's fur:

Someone was lost and making a lot of noise about it:

The kitchen window has been streaming with water most of the time, so only a few bird pics:

As I've got out of the habit of taking the camera this week, I have forgotten it on a couple of occasions and suddenly remembered the smart phone (which has been a godsend in the absence of other means of communication) and its camera. Because it runs on Android, I can access them on the laptop in a way I've never been able to with previous phones. I think they're a bit weird but see what you think:

Hmmm - not for me. I've done nothing to them and I think they need quit a lot doing to them, particularly that first one - the colour reminds me of an old Polaroid.

We've had power cuts, another plumbing emergency involving a valve under the kitchen sink and LOTS of snow, but I still feel lucky and very excited to have the internet back. I'm off to search for yet another new phone as the lightning fried our nice cordless one.....AGAIN. So, until next time, lovely to be back, happy valentines if you celebrate such things, thanks for your comments while I was out of action and here are those boys trotting down a fairly dry looking path.