Snippets

Phew, we had a long day of travel and transfers to make the journey home - one of us (moi, of course) slept quite a bit. Dale was across the aisle from a mucus-gurgling, sleeping child whose parents kept holding the barf bag to her face when she choked on mucus - a little disturbing, and not sleep inducing.

We had a couple of hours delay at both Birmingham and Paris airports on our return trip. Charles de Gaulle was shrouded in thick cottony mist - it was weird to imagine being so invisible in Paris. This photo was taken on our inbound journey; none of this was visible on the return flight. 

Arriving back in Boston and waiting for the C & J bus was like arriving unequipped in the Arctic. Last night the temperature was recorded at -18°F (-27°C). It's brutal and fierce out there! We also had to clear snow off the car once our bus journey was over, but it really wasn't too difficult, just awfully, deeply cold. Thankfully, the depot has a collection of snow shovels for patrons to borrow. We had snow brushes and scrapers in the car, but a shovel was needed for this amount of accumulation.

What a welcome surprise awaited us as we arrived at our house - a cleared entryway! How incredibly lucky we are to have such kind friends who thoughtfully shoveled a space to park our car as well as a walking route to our front door through the 2 feet of snow. Just ... amazing! This made our long-awaited arrival back home after dark so much more manageable. Thank you, friends.

And, talking of amazing, Dale's cousins skillfully finagled a way to send a bottle of French brandy to our Welsh bungalow, that was hand delivered from our local Spar shop. What a delightful surprise that was - we felt so loved.

My brother and his partner were, as always, super welcoming, helpful and accommodating, offering all sorts of ways to help us transition smoothly, and providing anything we needed or mentioned. Besides a blow-up air mattress and some folding chairs, we set off for our new home with a home-baked lemon drizzle cake!

We didn't hear any Welsh spoken in any of our interactions - it was all straightforward English, except for 'haitch' being used instead of 'aitch' when spelling a word.

On one of our excursions to collect some comfy chairs for our living room, we struggled to find the exact house ... so we endured a drive along a convoluted, rutted, potholed, muddy farm track into the Welsh hills with a steep drop off on one side only to realize we were in the wrong place. We eventually managed to turn around and drove back down to the civilized part of town where we could get phone reception. Turns out the D-I-L had used the cottage name that she could spell in the text to us, but which wasn't to be found on Google maps! The other unspellable, named house on the property was traceable, though. The elderly farmer's wife stayed on the line with us and directed us to her gate and showed us around. It was an old rambling, run-down building that had moisture and damp creeping all over the walls, with musty carpets and curtains. The family was committed to emptying out the place so they didn't have to continue paying Council tax on an unused building.

We struggled to get both armchairs into the rental car, and didn't want to have to do a second trip in the dark, so we started questioning how we would tie the trunk down when the old lady remarked that she had some string because of course, this was a farm. Before she returned with her farm string, I remembered that we'd been traveling with "stretchies" in the car for just such an occasion, and we were able to secure the load very easily.

In all the uncertainty and stressful driving conditions, we didn't take any photos! Thankfully the chairs were not fabric-upholstered, and I was able to clean them thoroughly and immediately we got home - we had been 'gifted' numerous cleaning agents in our home, one of which was appropriately called "Bang! Black Mold Remover." Hey presto, we were in business ... but still didn't remember to take direct pictures of them, so here is an incidental peek at our newly acquired/earned armchairs.

Hope's Clipped Wings

Is a nation or a person that is taught to embrace hope being fooled into a form of acceptance? Maybe having hope is what maintains the status quo? Is it a convenient way to suppress action and protest?

I keep hearing Marx's quote 'religion is the opiate of the masses' swirling in my head as I contemplate this ... poets, politicians and essayists appear to encourage us to hope ...

“Hope” is the thing with feathers -
That perches in the soul -
And sings the tune without the words -
And never stops - at all -

-Emily Dickinson

“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” 

- MLK

'Even the darkest night will end, and the sun will rise.” 

-Victor Hugo

In these times, I fear that hope is a way to manage our anger and fears, to keep our discontent suppressed.

Wales Wrap Up

Our new fridge arrived, much later in the day than scheduled so it limited some of our other plans, but it will at least be available to us when we return. We had no trouble with food spoiling without the fridge at this time of year. Look at how tall it is - perfect for Dale (now he can make himself useful in the kitchen 😀)

 

Our last day in Isfryn was ... sunny and dry (i.e. no rain). It made for a beautiful morning, but this was also the day we had to leave! What a tease.

So it was back to narrow, windy roads with signs like "Adverse Camber" and "Hidden Dip" as we made our way to Stoke-on-Trent to test-drive an Ioniq EV before heading to our hotel at the airport for a very early start of a long, long day ahead.

We returned our rental car and made the best of the few hours sleep available to us before the 3:30AM wake up alarm.

 

Encounters

We've had so many wonderful interactions with people during our first week here i n Isfryn. We're constantly reminded about how small a world this is, and how connected we all really are - so many coincidences and commonalities!

On arriving in England, we were astounded to encounter someone we know at the supermarket we stopped at! How is that possible? It was the lovely old guy who once lived next door to my brother in Ludlow, and who had accompanied us to the pub in June last year! Amazing, indeed.

When the "zhuzh" guys came over to drop off the not-free couch at our house one evening, we got talking, and discovered that one of them had studied in East London, South Africa. Not only that, but he had worked with a dear friend and mentor of Dale's. They both personally knew Carl Vernon. That just blew out minds. What??? How could that be - a dog-groomer in Wales personally knew the very same naturalist as Dale. Wow, wow, wow! These incredible connections gave us goosebumps.

We answered an ad to buy a computer desk, and found the people were not only neighbors just at the end of our street (she and her husband actually carried part of the desk up to our house in the rain instead of putting it in their truck, and then stopped in to have tea with us), but they were currently clearing out her deceased Mom's apartment, and offered to give us first "dibs" on items we needed! Gosh! We came home with a kettle, toaster, immersion blender, hairdryer, plates, can opener, corkscrew, bowls, casseroles, glasses, baking dishes, computer chair, spices and bedside tables for a very, very reasonable price. We'll be picking up a lot more from her when she's sorted through things better - we were literally free-range raiding her cabinets. She said we'd be helping her as much as she was helping us, so win, win!

One of our new neighbors worked as an immigration lawyer and judge, so he kindly printed out some documents that might help us in getting settled with visas and the immigration process. He said his enquiring mind couldn't let go of some of the nuances we'd told him about. Over a cup of coffee, he also told us that he was pleased to find out we weren't just another fuddy-duddy British couple who read The Daily Mail! He asked if he may park one of his vintage cars in our garage until we return, which of course we were happy to agree to.

Our neighbors in the property  above ours welcomed us inside and offered refreshments, but we were short on time. They suggested we ask the mail delivery person to just drop all our mail at their house until we return in a few months! They were sure it would be an okay thing to ask, and that it would be accommodated, but we didn't get a chance to broach it with the mail carrier before we left. So they will fetch mail from our vestibule (the mail arrives through a slot in the front door) and keep an eye on our place to we get back.

The electrical contractor who came to give us an assessment for installing solar panels and heat pumps, was a delight too. He had tea with us, and called the style of tea we were drinking 'builder's tea - a mug with a teabag still steeped in it! He also offered to stop by regularly and check up on our house until our return.

Dale and I got to the point where we'd switch off who was drinking tea with the neighbor each time someone new stopped in, as we were getting tea-ed out! And each 'cuppa' would take and hour or more, which cut into our tasks, but was also, oh so lovely and welcoming. 

One person we spoke to described the fall her mother had by saying, 'the stupid woman fell and broke her shoulder'! We were quite surprised by her description, to tell you quite honestly.

One person we met was called Ceri - we were told it's pronounced Kerry. 

Wales, Continued

Since landing in Llanfyllin (make the sound of dentures dropping down from your top jaw and clacking when you say the double ll), we've bought a couple of second hand items advertised for free or cheap, and it has opened up doors, conversations and sharing a cuppa with many new people. What a great way to get to know the locals.

Here's Dale squeezed into our car with a king size bed and frame compressed in with us ...

It was a mission to get it all in in one trip, and then of course, quite difficult to get it out again. We used the straps from our hand luggage, clasped together, to hold the mattress in a compact enough bundle to handle. This is the way to have fun, and feel young: working through challenges.

En route to picking up the bed, we were impressed with a rainbow, and beautiful light on the hills, so stopped for a few shots

The bed has turned out to be a great buy

We bought a desk from a couple who offered to deliver it to our door, and they ended up carrying it inside. Then they said they also had a couch if we wanted it, since in his words, the house needed a little more "zhuzh." Okay we said, since we have no real lounge chairs. They offered to go back and fetch it (his partner had bought it for his dog, but the dog never took to it, so it was time to let it go) - it turned out to be a sick, almost mustard yellow (okay, we could live with it until we have something better and then toss it) - and then before leaving, they mentioned that they had it for sale at £100. Oh no, we'd thought it was a freebie, but we were in too deep to back out at this point, so offered them £70 (also too much, but oh well!). We thought we'd 'hide' it as a mudroom bench for helping us remove shoes comfortably, but its place was usurped a few days later by the purchase of a second hand freezer, so for now, it's useful in the conservatory.

It's all part of the adventure!

Green, Green Grass of ... Wales

There's still so much I haven't mentioned thus far - on our first day here we had to do an expansive grocery shop, ranging from toilet paper to sugar, veggies and pillows, all while bearing in mind we had no fridge. I was so happy to find my greatly-missed Bovril - that yellow stuff on my bread is a buttery spread we bought under the illusion that it was butter - we'd read through (and rejected) all spread ingredients in plastic tubs, and settled on this one, wrapped as a block in foil, just like the salted butter next to it. By this time we were weary and worn out from reading labels, and made a mistake.

The sellers very sweetly brought their parent's dining table and chairs out of storage and left it here for us - it has made life much more comfortable. Of course, they also left table linens mats, and the dressers to store them in.

We picked up a 'tub' chair with a washable cover that was advertised as free a few roads away from us. It's a lot more comfy than a dining chair.

I'm happy to finally have a double sink, with a built-in drainer, as we are used to. The plug for the sink is attached by a chain - perfection.

Dale had ordered a Starlink Internet kit before we arrived, so he set it up for us on the first day here - lucky us!

Welsh Adventure

We've been incredibly busy and jetlagged, so have been remiss in updating you all promptly about our happy landings here in Wales - first of all, the closing and handover of our home took place as planned on Jan 22, without a hitch. We bought champagne to celebrate with my brother John and Michelle.

Of note is the fact that we have NO snow on the ground, just lots of puddles. Here is a view of sheep grazing on the hill outside my front window.

We bought a large amount of 'stuff' with us, to equip our empty kitchen during our first week here. This is everything we packed into our luggage, all of which arrived safely, with no breakages.

After landing in Birmingham and collecting our rental car, we headed to the retail appliance store to order a fridge that will fit into our 60cm (close to 2 feet) kitchen space. It will only arrive on Tuesday, so for now we're using our unheated garage as a cooler.

What a lovely view from my kitchen window as I wash dishes (note: no snow).

Post Snowfall Sights

 

Such a delightful sight - poor cold and hungry squirrel!

Fresh snow shadows - so intense

Sublimation

 

Vaporizing snow

Beautiful, mysterious

Process, like dry ice.

More on Cryoprotection

Cryoprotection intrigues me still ... I can't let it go ... I don't think I've quite wrapped my head around it entirely, as reflected in this post ...

Diatoms (single celled algae with silicate cell walls) in the ocean release ice-binding proteins to prevent ice crystals forming (their own antifreeze molecules), which would restrict their growth and motility. Diatom abundance and composition in the ocean therefore also affects the structure, melt (light penetration) and formation of sea ice. Massive blooms of diatomic algae in the ocean make for thinner ice sheets, as well as more abundant biomass for the base of our planet's food chain. (Good and bad at the same time? Ooh, maybe we mistakenly exercise 'judgement' on what IS without any need to - it just IS, it has no inherent quality.)

And lakes too, of course! Excess algal growth can inhibit the formation of ice cover ... and thereby alter/influence what happens to other life forms in other habitats ... that's how ecosystems are!

It's interesting contemplating how such small, single celled organisms can alter major environmental systems! I'm ever-wowed by the complexity of nature, and the way we 'judge'  or name it.

Traveling Scatter-brain

Oh my! Whilst meaning to warm up my coffee in the microwave, I started placing my mug into the nearest cabinet. This is what being busy and tired and frazzled does - hope it doesn't get any more scatty than this.

Oops, then I set off without the very item I'd arranged to drop off at a friend's home!

We're on our way to claim Isfryn for ourselves, and explore a little of our new village in the next week. Posts to my blog may not be as frequent as in the past, as we try to establish Internet, and make ourselves a temporary home, using a borrowed air mattress and our sleeping bags.

Please AirFrance, no delays ... 🤞

Light and Dark

Early morning sunlight intersects with the remains of night's darkness to create this dramatically beautiful scene on Arrowhead. A sight to cherish.

Interconnectedness

“In a real sense all life is inter-related. All men are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.

This is the inter-related structure of reality.”

― Martin Luther King

Letter from Birmingham Jail: Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter from Birmingham Jail and the Struggle That Changed a Nation: Library Edition

Icy Fascination

When we have a few days of warmer temperatures (above freezing), I don't feel quite as bitter about seeing ice formations around me. I can even appreciate them!

These icicles look like meat claws for making pulled pork

Icy slats and a leaf

Warm nuts melting ice