Ups and Downs, On and Offs

Our next trip is still very much up in the air. OIC were extremely helpful yesterday in organising replacement ferry vouchers from Transport Scotland for my lost ones , though Transport Scotland have not been quick to answer my  request for the new voucher numbers in advance of their delivery. This somewhat stymies the booking process.

Today is the first free Thursday of Mr L’s new three-day week regime and I feel all at odds with it. I am not sure how to address the day – is it week/work or is it weekend/play time. There is still work to be done in Brunhilde but it feels like that can wait for a work day, yet on Monday I have to go to court in Kirkwall. I don’t know if I am summoned for a week or just the day. Overall, too many unknowns, too many balls in the air, and I feel jumpy and unsettled

I started the new knitting project yesterday, a beautiful hooded scarf to keep the Orkney winds at bay. The hood part is complete and I shall cast on the scarf later today. I am feeling ambivalent about it as I know that I should be completing existing projects. Why do I feel the need to intersperse these quick fixes between longer-lived projects. I just enjoy the buzz of starting and finishing something in the space of a few days, I think.

Also yesterday, I completed some kind of write up from the weekend for Two Snails. The associated photo albums are here and here. I hope today to finish the Hoy trip. Maybe after that I can get the Scottish trip written before heading off again.

In Other News, I have done something really stupid: I answered a plea on Facebook from a dog rescue organisation to go and photograph a dog on Sanday that is needing a re-home. Whatever was I thinking of! How on earth am I going to see a pup looking for a home and then not actually come home with it? I have asked Mr L to come along to help to keep my resolve strong.  No, I cannot deny that a space in our home and our hearts was vacated recently. Too recently I feel, for an addition to be right just now.

With a planned trip forthcoming it is not the time to introduce a new dog to our family. Not a young one full of bounce and go, at least. Then there is Nell’s lack of socialisation to deal with. Although she was brought up with Suzie and Griff, she finds “other” dogs – unknown dogs – very intimidating. When she meets a stranger on a  walk she does freak out a bit and after greeting the owner, she gives the dog a wide berth. Bringing a baby into the home where she has always been the baby – I don’t see it working out too well. For a start – she has never outgrown her puppy cage. She’s 7 years old and still retires to her cage at night! Nell would not be happy if we took her cage in order to put a usurper in it. Oh, no, not at all.

Yes, I am desperately rationalising in order to keep my naturally sympathetic urges at bay.

One part of me at least says that we have done our bit over the years and have re-homed enough needy cases to be able to look ourselves straight in the eye in the mirror. Our complement is down from 3 and 3,  to one dog and one cat and that is a far more manageable number. Retirement is looming and freedom beckons. Tying ourselves down now by increasing the brood (and the maintenance costs in the face of reduced income) would be daft. Yet my heartstrings are being jerked, oh yes they are. Somebody stop me, please….

Oh? Sorry. Collie x Lurcher. Four months old.

Well, you would, wouldn’t you.

Stop me, stop me, stop me!

…and now I smell my mushy peas boiling over. I must hie me to their rescue. Looking forward to Fish, Chips and Peas today to compensate for the Helgi’s disappointment.

Addendum: Mr L noticed criminal cases in court next Wednesday in addition to Monday. I rang up to ask if my summons for jury duty was for Monday only or for all week…. and was told that the jury has been cancelled. A letter should be with me today or tomorrow. So, we could have gone off on schedule! (albeit at the greater cost) It is tempting to go ahead and sort out our trip now but we both feel that we want to see evidence of the cancellation notice first. Postie won’t be coming now so we must expect the letter’s arrival tomorrow.

2 Comments

  1. spinninggill
    September 3, 2015
    Reply

    You could always borrow our dog crate. 😉

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