Windy it is. And yet not. The weather maps show winds gusting to 15 to 20 miles per hour. Which is windy. And yet not. Last winter we regularly had winds gusting to 40, 50 mph, and on a couple of occasions at least 60 to 80 mph. Therefore it is not windy. I don't care what you tell me about being blown over picking the runner beans, or scooping various items of garden furniture from the common - and the washing of course - it is not windy.
We had lots of visitors over the summer - and they asked us how we survived last winter. And we told them. It was fine - we survived - it was fun - we expected it to be bad - and it was - but it was fine - we just wrapped up and survived. All this is true - and in the summer heat it all seemed so - well academic really. But now - after days of not windy really - the thought of winter, and the thought of real wind, is beginning to scrape away on the insides of my rib cage - not nice I promise!
The thought of winter, the spectre of winter really is starting to get to me. People have told us that it is the second winter that finishes off the good lifers, the neo, proto and quasi hippies. The second winter does 'em in. They pack up and beat a hasty retreat to softer climes as soon as they emerge from their winter pits after the second winter.
After last winter (our first) - I thought - well fine - it was a bad winter, it was a windy winter, it was a cold winter - if that's as bad as it gets we'll be fine. But this looming fear of a winter that hasn't even started yet is taking me by surprise. Looming doom gloom.
Will the second winter be the end of our aspirations for life in the Highlands?
4 comments:
Often though, it's the things you really dread that turn out not to be so bad after all. At least, that's what I'm clinging to! And if you can survive the second winter presumably you can then survive anything. And people might even start recognising you in the pub.
OTOH, I hear Spain is nice.
Like you, we expected winter to be bad, and it was, so fair enough. What we didn't expect, and are having real trouble dealing with, is the summers (or lack of). I know you have had a reasonable summer up where you are, but here on the west coast, we are still waiting for it. Lynda
Townmouse - SPAIN! I had a wonderful holiday once cycling the foothills of the pyrenees - and we kept coming across deserted villages with wonderful farmhouses with internal courtyards and everything...SPAIN! - My favourite country. SPAIN!
Lynda - sounds like your having a torrid time with a rotten summer and a sense of entrapment - I hope you can get your transport sorted out - a scooter sounds like a good idea - and then, usually, when the weather looks rubbish from the comfort of indoors - get outside and it doesn't feel so bad. Usually. Sort of.
Thanks for the comment Daniel. I've deleted it because it contained too much information! But the stove sounds great. We are at the stage of writing the tender for the house. Cheers!
Post a Comment