On the drive home, on another sunny day, we were delayed by more accidents. What does sunshine do to people?
The visit was a success, in particular because of Eloise cat’s enjoyment of LT’s house. We’re very tempted to bring her again sometimes. The downsides are, of course, the journey and that she can’t be allowed outside. With a fairly busy road, much closer than she’s used to, it’s too risky. All the same, she adjusts quite well to indoor living and we do miss her awfully when we’re away.
The cat carrier, which is actually Rose’s, is quite battered. When we had Billy working for us, he dumped a bag of cement on it, which cracked it. I mended it with gaffer tape but we had decided to buy her a smart new one – as if she cares, of course, but we do. And then, when I was letting her out on our arrival home, the knob that keeps the door in place broke off in my hand. I was able to open the door (and the whole thing takes apart if need be) but it’s not conveniently useable again, so I went straight to order a new one. She’s going to the vet for a final checkup on Monday, after which we hope she’ll be given the all clear to go outside.
The other pleasures of the visit, of course, were in seeing our friends. We’d invited one couple for Sunday lunch and the other for dinner on Monday. And then on Tuesday, we called on a sort-of relation by marriage of his, a splendid lady of 96, who Tim used to see every week until he took up with me. I asked which year she was born; it’s the same year as my mother.
All is fine at home. The baby chicks are getting speckled wings and are in great health. Their coop is not as big as they – and their mum – would like and we’re adding a run to it, tomorrow. We discussed it before we went away and have it all planned. It has to be covered, but I’ll use the netting that is covering brassicas at present. The purpose of that was to keep pigeons off the seedlings, but they’re rather bigger than seedlings now.
One way and another, in an attempt to find the right escape from ‘local issues’, we have done more miles in the last 2 months than we have done in the last 2 years. We have been amazed at how road conditions have changed.
I don’t think it is the sun that is causing accidents: there is now much more traffic on the roads, particularly HGVs (with no sensible rail goods network, all those essential consumer goods need to get to their destinations somehow, and lots of goods come into the east coast ports and need moving to often-midlands-based distibution centres), all vehicles are larger than they previously were (so take up more road and lane space) and people are too impatient, drive too close to the car in front, and are too busy using phones etc while driving. Plus, people are driving ever-greater distances from home to work, and from home to school.
Hence – lots more accidents.
I’m intrigues… how do you stop Eloise getting out of a window or door? Or do you have to keep them closed?
It’s just that we regularly travel between Reading and here and, though there are often accidents on the M11 and we avoid that road as a result, it seems to have been when the weather is sunny that we’ve been most delayed by accidents; all other things being equal. We usually travel about the same time of day, during the week, on the same busy roads. Even locally, I notice that drivers seem to be less attentive and more careless when it’s sunny. This is subjective of course, I’m not claiming any scientific study of cause and effect!
Yes, we can’t have windows open and we have to watch where Eloise is before opening a door. So looking forward to her going out again.