THE RAMBLINGS OF A STRUGGLING ARTIST ON LIFE WITH TWO TERRIERS, A PONY WITH ISSUES AND OTHER WILDLIFE AND BIRDS THAT CROSS OUR PATH

20 November 2013

ALL WEATHERS


We really have had everything this week. Sun, wind, frost (only a tiny bit), hail, rain and snow. Yesterday had a bit of everything, including a very inconvenient snowy blizzard as I stood holding Trigger while he had his hooves trimmed. I was inappropriately dressed in a jacket with no hood and a hat that channeled the snow and following giant hail stones down the back of my neck. 

The dreaded Renault Megane has been taking in water for the last few months, resulting in a kind of cold sauna effect every time you get in it. The carpet is sodden and every window is pretty well constantly steamed up. I drive along with a window cleaning thing in one hand, wiping the windscreen on the inside until the heater blasts enough to clear it. Anyway, my point is that, with sub-zero temperatures, I now have to scrape ice off the whole of the inside of the car as well as the outside. An executive decision has been made that we HAVE to get a new (second hand) one as soon as possible. The boot keeps locking itself and refusing to open. The wind screen wipers keep malfunctioning......in the rain. At night, nothing on the dashboard lights up. The left hand wing mirror flew off at sixty miles an hour on the A30 with no warning. I could go on but it's just too depressing. We've been saving for over a year and my mum has very kindly given us a bit to help, so we should be able to get something of a similar mileage but with a better body that isn't heading for the scrap heap. Enough mutterings about that blasted car. There is actually a plant growing in the carpet in the back. Here are some pictures from the last few turbulent days. None of it actually raining  - just the clouds that hold it looming on the horizon.


















I found the Golden Plover flock again. I haven't put many pictures in as they were pretty similar to the last lot, but I loved these two. First them trying to hide from me and secondly flying off:



I managed to order some of the photo cards yesterday but the drawings are still a problem. I had a reply from the printing company I contacted but they clearly hadn't understood the question and I've had to email them again. I wouldn't have believed how difficult it could be.

Thanks for all your good wishes regarding my back. I stopped taking the pain killers yesterday and regretted it - sorely. Back on them today and an appointment made with my lovely GP next week. Also, welcome to some more new followers. Lovely to have you.

Jack needs to have the snip soon.....arguments are raging in this house as to when. I think VERY soon. Partner doesn't. Hmmm - I think there may be a male/female split on this issue! So, until next time, here are those boys, one in the snow, which has now melted I'm glad to say.



52 comments:

  1. WOW !
    And I thought my week was bad ? You win !
    The x is throwing garbage around again. This always happens around the holidays. He like to stir stuff up. Hurtful as always. This year it is weighing heavy on my soul.

    I hope you can find a new car soon.
    Maybe that is a new strain of penicillin growing in your car ?

    I adore the moon photo and the shaggy fat pony one.

    cheers, parsnip

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sorry Parsnip. Little worse than emotional ructions caused by others.

      I must try and get some pictures of the Megane ecosystem before it goes for scrap. Not just the plant inside....there is grass sprouting from the windows and a vast variety of mosses sprinkled around the place.

      Delete
  2. Hey, if VW bug can have a vase on the dash, why the heck can't you have a plant in the back!
    Jane x
    LOVE your shots,as ever!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good point Jane. However, as you will see when I get the camera in there, the plant is not a looker.

      Delete
  3. What fun the dogs are having in the cool weather!
    Your car sounds a sad disaster (so glad we don't own one!)
    As ever, I'm loving your outdoor photos,

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are well out of the car business Elizabeth. Fine if you can afford to replace it every three years or so, but otherwise......money pits.

      Delete
  4. Nice photos, bad car. Don't buy French. French = shite. About £800 buys you a fantastic Volvo estate with about 100K on the clock, and you will never look back.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Make sure you ask the owner about the fuel pump. Or was it air pump? Whatever..

      Delete
    2. Air pump. That was one particular model destined for the Californian market, but ending up with me...

      Delete
    3. Shite indeed Tom. Never again. I grew up with Renault 4's and Citroen 2CV's but at least you could get under the bonnet and do something about it when they went wrong. This is the worst vehicle I have ever owned and the sooner it leaves us the better. I used to have a Volvo 345, many years ago, but it as built by DAF and did Volvo no favours by breaking down constantly. I would certainly consider a proper one but am not sure it would fit on our parking thing. I'm trying to ignore the air pump thing.....

      Delete
  5. What a nightmare with your car! I hope you are able to get something a bit more reliable soon.

    The photos were great, especially loved the moors, tors, moon and birds taking off :)

    Jack DEFINITELY needs a snip and soon!

    ReplyDelete
  6. WOW! The paragragh on the car! Pam Ayers would have a field day! Will try and have a little play with it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Please do. I feel very far from composing anything creative about it!

      Delete
  7. Your car sounds much like one we used to have--I have mostly good memories of the car, but when it was like that, it was easy to forget them! But your weather, aside from the snow, sounds so muchl ike mine, but your scenery is much more beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have NO good memories of this one and we've had it nearly ten years!

      Delete
  8. We've had snow already, too, and a lovely crispy frost this morning. The photo of the pony is grand; just stolid and stalwart.
    Car problems probably plague all of us in this blog ring. Just not enough green to keep them happy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We're off to have a look around some garages over the weekend Joanne.....fingers are crossed firmly.

      Delete
  9. Goodness Em, snow already. Its cold enough here, but no sign of the white stuff. Yes I have had cars like that one, the joys of motoring. The little stone footbridge over the stream looks an interesting subject.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. One of three clapper bridges in that section of the river Teign. Thank goodness they're there as the fords are impassable without waders at the moment!

      Delete
  10. My, you really do live in wide open spaces! I love all your views and especially the dogs of course. The photo of the plovers flying away is brilliant.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was so pleased with that one Chris. They usually turn out a total blur so I was very lucky.

      Delete
  11. Like Roy I really like the little clapper bridge. And the action shots of the dogs. And the Golden Plovers. But definitely not your car; sounds like a nightmare.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yours for a song John. I don't think we could actually give it away at the moment.

      Delete
  12. Wow! it is nippy with you, thankfully we didn't get the snow yesterday, just the HEAVY windy rain which put me off going out. Spent the day stitching and chores and snug. Love your photo with the bridge, you do live in a lovely area, just wish things were easier for you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think I'd rather have the snow than heavy rainy wind Elizabeth!

      Delete
  13. I did wonder if you'd get a bit of snow when I saw the weather forecast. Oh your car sounds like a nightmare, I really hope you can get a better one soon. I laughed when I got to the bit about the plant growing in the back-but not at your misfortune. Wonderful images of Dartmoor and the dogs.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm going in with the camera today to see if I can capture the beauty of automobile horticulture.

      Delete
  14. Lovely photos of the dogs and those beautiful Dartmoor views. I knew about the snow, I was speaking to a business colleague yesterday who lives in your part of the world and she told me winter had arrived!
    I am sorry about the car, I drive an old car here so never expect to go long without some sort of problem. Last week it wouldn't start - it was completely dead - but amazingly, just opening and closing the bonnet with some force got it going again. I wish all car repairs were that easy!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good work Wendy! Newer cars seem to be driven by computers which is very depressing. No tinkering under the bonnet these days.

      Delete
  15. Sorry about the car but when I look through your wonderful photographs I think how lucky you are to live in such a superb place and have two such lovely dogs = it can't all be good. Hope you get another car soon before the really bad weather - and nurture that plant, you never know what it will turn out to be.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. How true Pat. We have to take pleasure in the stuff that IS good. Thank you.

      Delete
  16. I loooooove your scenery.... *aaaaahhhhhhhhh* ~ however, I must confess; I was really hoping to see the plant growing from the carpet in your car.... :)))))) You make me smile!
    p.s. my dashboard lights don't work at night either.. or the passenger side door handle, or the trunk latch... but she's a good girl, and we patch her up and I keep loving her anyhow. :)))

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I took a picture of the plant about an hour ago and will post it next time, along with the moss, grass and now LICHEN (!) that I have growing there. They'll be in the next post.

      Delete
  17. Beautiful photos of Dartmoor and great photos of Jack and Snippet :) Sorry to hear about your car (I tend to run mine into the ground so can sympathise :) ) - hope you manage to get a better one sorted out soon! Sorry your back is still so painful - really do hope it eases soon and good luck with sorting the cards out.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Still no reply from them regarding the cards.......nearly time to name and shame I think!

      Delete
  18. SNOW! I haven't seen any here yet. Getting cold though. Love the shot of the lowering sky and I must have missed the post about your back- hope it's easing off. x

    ReplyDelete
  19. The drugs are keeping me upright! Glad you haven;t had snow although Poppy will love it I should think.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I love seeing the dogs having such fun an Dartmoor. I hope you mange to find another car. Your story reminded me getting weekly lifts to Southampton in a car that had puddles of water on the floor. You always had to be careful when we up for a hill! It's not much fun.
    Sarah x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I didn't mention the fact that when we drive round a corner, there is the noise of a vast quantity of water sloshing somewhere in the front of the car. Very worrying!

      Delete
  21. That is the last thing you want to be doing in the cold!! I'm really hoping my car won't start doing awful things like that! Love the plovers in flight shot and the first image of snip and jack in the snow!! Snow already!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Snow indeed. I think that was it though - all frost and wind now....

      Delete
  22. That is quite a marvelous intent look Jack has on his face !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. He is quite intense and needs to calm down A LOT!

      Delete
  23. Goodness Em! You do need to change that car before you get stuck somewhere in blizzard conditions and suffer serious health issues as a result!! I hope you find something that's been much loved by its previous owner. Those photos did look cold, and I got shivers down the back of my neck at your description of Trigger's farrier exploits! I presume he is understanding about pediatrist visits?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. He's pretty good about it but wasn't when I took him on. At 10 years, he'd never seen a farrier or a podiatrist,; his previous owners had just clipped the end of his toes off! It took over a year to get them even close to healthy and a lot of work to stop him leaping around whilst being seen to. Lots of work with ropes gently round his legs and lifting them up onto buckets!

      Delete
  24. It tried to snow here the other day, but we had mostly hailstones (causing a middle of the night awakening) and the first hard frost this morning. This afternoon we had that wonderful rufous light (like in your photo of the trees) and I cursed myself for not having the camera in the car.

    I didn't realize that poor Trigger had been virtually feral until you got him. He's come a long way, by the sound of things.

    Lovely photos - the little clapper bridge esp., and the rising Golden Plovers. My camera is slow on the uptake and would have missed them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My camera is getting slower by the day. I guess that's what happens when you buy the budget option!

      I do wish someone would take Trigger on, but I can't take the risk really. I love looking after him but feeding him is a financial burden I could do without at the moment!

      Delete
  25. Cars are such a nuisance aren't they but sadly an essential part of life in the countryside these days :-( Great pics as always and speaking personally I am rather envious of the fact you've had snow already (just wet and cold here) !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We certainly couldn't live here without one, although saying that, we'd be incredibly fit! The school bus comes and picks OB up for school and drops him back and I get shopping delivered so.....hmmmm. It COULD be done, but I'd rather not.

      Delete
  26. Haha! The male:female words on the snip.... we've had those in this house too! I eventually got my way with Milo last week.... husband was more traumatised than Milo!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you so much for leaving a comment. It's great to read them and I will always try to reply.