To quote Corporal Jones:

DON’T PANIC!

I woke this morning to the realisation that we have moved from “Ages to go; loads of time to prepare” to “OMG, I’d better get my skates on!” In fact, panic stations are just around the corner.

How did that happen. How did I let so much time slip by in an orgy of idleness. I do not know. Well, Teddy might have something to do with it as around half of my time is spent with his occupying at least one of my arms. I need the sun to come out again in order for him to vacate the house and go snooze in the conservatory once more. That or some kind of cat sling, or cat papoose to let me hold him close and still be able to work.

It’s all very well, these cuddles and it may well appear as true love but let us face it: he’s a cat, it is simple self-interest.

I have managed to shed the cat long enough to get a total of four leaves done on my scarf. I know, not much, but he is a very lazy cat indeed. I have yet to do the Two Snails outstanding tasks.

It is Saturday and today Mr L takes over as chef. This may well free me to do something productive today, while he knocks up the Green Thai Curry.

The awaited cancellation notice arrived today, having taken three days to wend its way from Kirkwall! Worryingly, Brunhilde’s new exhaust mounts are not yet here. We are concocting makeshift plans involving tie-wraps in case they are not delivered on Monday as we plan to traverse some minor roads on our next trip. Actually, the A roads are none too hot. Only in Scotland would A routes consists of single tracks in poor maintenance, with passing places sometimes very small and soft and distinctly dodgy when viewed from Brunhilde’s bulk.

The mounts were sent 1st Class mail on Wednesday. What is wrong with the post just now, I do not know.

While nursing Ted yesterday I passed some time with the iPlayer and was watching Paul Hollywood’s “Who do you think you are” in which appeared some of the scenery that we shall be passing through on our next trip. It really fired my enthusiasm and I cannot wait to get my camera out! Of course, it will probably be raining at every good vantage point and I shall come home with nothing at all.

Loch Maree from the A832
Anticipated Scenery. (image Liz Smith)

So, I had better cease waffling and go do something constructive. The laundry is on already. Have I ever mentioned how much I love my washing machine? It has a Hand Wash Wool cycle that saves me so much work, I cannot begin to quantify. At present it holds a couple of Mr L’s lambswool sweaters and an enormous quantity of hand-knit socks. Can you tell that I am expecting less good weather than for our last trip? What concerns me today is the absence of the former good weather and whether or not I have left sufficient time left in which  to dry all the woolly stuff in this grey damp.

(hiatus)

Armed with some knowledge now of how we want to use our time and space in the van, I have been outside reordering all of Brunhilde’s cupboards. I took out items that have failed to be useful and added in ones that I have missed having with me. I seem to have created space! My next lot of travelling clothes is stowed in the lockers and I have cleaned sinks and cooker. The bed  remains to be made up and we need to work out how to fasten Ted’s new carrier down with the lap straps on the habitation seating. Cat food supplies are in, but dog ones need to be added.

I’m bored now. Can the rest of the work wait until next week?

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