The dream, and the reality

What an insane day it's been, even by my standards.

First, I had to get up and hoover a room, make coffee, etc, at top speed, because we were expecting a scheduled power interruption between 9am and 3pm. Then we had to fumble around in the gloom for hours, drinking instant coffee we had made using water from a thermos. Yes, we know how to party like it's 1973!

My massage client arrived. I'd warned her there wouldn't be light or heat, but the session was fine. After she'd left, I unpacked some greetings cards for my business in the now-bright sunshine. Then we packed the car with yet more black sacks of garden waste, rotten wood, buckets of rubble, and drove to the tip AGAIN. Three times this week we've been there. However, I'd planned a treat, too.

We drove to nearby Nympsfield, where we eventually located Thistledown farm. This is a beautiful campsite, more spacious than any I have ever seen, with far-reaching views across the valleys. There is a restaurant, too, so we sat outside near a wild flower meadow, (as seen in the bottom picture)and had lunch. CleanSteve had a bacon and egg roll, and I had a Vietnamese salad. I tried to imagine going camping with my family in the 1960s/70s and picnicking on Vietnamese food. All the internal slideshow could offer me was a tartan rug and slices fried Plumrose bacon grill.

We explored the campsite on foot. There were not many campers, but we found a lovely pond and an old tractor that kids were playing on. I'd definitely staycation there, even though it's less they ten miles from my home.

Back in Stroud, the domestic power supply was back on. I tidied up the remaining waste sacks and then went out to slash and snip 'just a few more brambles and nettles'. Hours passed. A woman came by to collect the play gazebo I fixed up yesterday (she is going to make it into s fairy bower for her niece. Yuk). Spotify found me more retro songs to sing along to. Seven bags of waste later, I stopped. We now need to book another trip tip. My top picture shows the area I've attempted to clear, starting on Tuesday. It's a long way from being a flower meadow.

A while later, I made a far eastern-style fish soup for supper, Now I am looking at the smarting scratches on my legs and awarding myself a gold medal for Garden Waste Disposal (no bonfires, no smoke, no harm to hedgehogs. Just pain).