Thursday, May 29, 2014

Unexpected Adventuring

Wednesday evening
It was only a few weeks ago I saw my first
 wild orchid but I'm now totally smitten
with these gorgeous flowers

The wonderful thing about Tiggers is... well, really, what this sentence is about is the wonderful thing about being Tigger. And that wonderful thing is never knowing what might happen next! From a fairly planned out and seemingly set in stone plan a chain of events was set in motion which has resulted in an entirely different plan and one which is exceedingly exciting to this particular little Tigger.

Through the trees outside I can see the last of the evening light fade from the sky, while inside the van which has been my home for the past few days I've treated myself to the luxury of warmth and lit the little burner. It's taken the edge off the evening air and, under my duvet and wrapped up warm I'm feeling really rather cosy. Were this van to be my home for  much longer I might consider some other lighting options (the bulb which is providing light at the moment is functional but doesn't exactly provide mood lighting...) but other than that its treating me really rather well. And reminds me that I am forever grateful that I'm fairly easy to please when it comes to a surface to sleep on - I generally sleep well and different beds and places rarely interfere with that too much. Huzzah.

So! This new adventure: BRILLIANT. Originally my holiday to Devon & Cornwall was going to involve two Mon-Fri weeks of WWOOFing, plus some teaching on the weekends and squeezing in seeing some friends. I had been feeling pretty pleased with myself for having a proper of "genuine holiday" days at the end when I get to play in Oxfordshire with my folks. Because, you know, it's been a really quiet couple of months, not much going on and certainly no real need for me to use a holiday for rest. Of course not. That's just a silly idea. More fool me.

A snapshot of my part of the gardens of my most recent WWOOF host
Turns out that having some rest during a holiday is a Very Good Thing and so I rejigged my plans and am now lined up with three nights of B&B accommodation (both close to the sea - first in Ilfracombe, or Ill-frack-cum-bee as it will now forever be in my mind, and the second at Tintagel), lots of exciting places to visit should I so wish and, if the stars align, I might even get to Lundy Island. Which would be ACE. But most importantly I'm giving myself a bit of space. To catch my breath. To recharge after a really full on couple of weeks / months. To enjoy pottering around. To have some me time. All wonderful luxuries and luxuries I'm in a position to enjoy - so enjoy them I shall!

Getting artistic with
silicon while fixing broken
greenhouse glass panes
 What sights I will see and what tales I will have to tell after this holidaying I don't know. It's unlikely they'll involve attacking the same quantity of nettles, docks and brambles I've been engaged with the past few days. Or, indeed, gluing bits of glass together to cover up small-human-height holes in very old greenhouses. But the mystery of what they will hold is super exciting. Eeeeeeeee!