Meh

Modern phones are useful, and it is possible to blog from them - but it's not a relaxing way to compose a post. Three weeks or so ago I moved into my caravan for the purpose of making sure all systems worked before pushing off into the wilderness.

It is not connected to electricity. My activities are determined by daylight.  I miss my laptop which needs a mains connection - the aging battery doesn't hold any charge. I won't have mains power out in the wilderness.

I installed a battery with a USB port so that I could charge phone and tablet (although without WiFi that tablet won't be much use). It's no help with the laptop.

Bro provided (and wired up) a solar panel and a regulator to keep the battery charged. Lights weren't glowing on the regulator but then I wasn't in the caravan when the sun was shining on the panel.

It became obvious the set-up wasn't working and I dragged the battery indoors for mains recharging.  Long story, problem solved. Bro slightly red-faced, but the battery now charges from the solar. 

My days have been somewhat lacking routine once I finished the bikes. I have been on bike delivery duty, and have become a bit of a mobile repair service. Lack of common language has been resolved by talking to phones that translate - but stuff still gets lost in the telling. Mime seems to work as a humorous relief from language struggles.

Veg garden gets some attention - mine and the dashed quails. Quails feasted on my new kale, coloured chard and lettuce plants. Bird netting seems to have successfully separated them from their objectives.

Dog-walking takes up a couple of hours of each day. Fergus is a changed dog (personality/interest in life). Wee Jock is jealous but I can't walk them together. I only tried once. Two, individually polite dogs became, together, a slathering snarling pack and about three minutes after starting the walk I threw them back in the van, drove them home and ejected Wee Jock. 

Wee Jock's face as he gamely chased after the departing van with Fergus on board nearly broke my heart but he's a killer dressed up as a Teddy Bear.  

Evening walks to enjoy the glow that settles on a rare very cam evening.

Sewing has also filled many hours as I have wrestled with heavy canvas to make seat covers for tractors, trucks, the forklift, and lawnmowers. I have mended clothes, made a patchwork throw for the caravan, repaired a tent, darned an ancient woollen patchwork blanket and made curtains for the office. 

Bro knew someone (N) living in a car and has tried for some time to get him to move to a room in the old office here. N finally relented recently when it became obvious to him that he needed a formal address for something important to him. We spent a couple of days moving out office furniture stored in said room, cleaning, putting up curtains, and dragging together some basic furniture, bedding and linen. N cooks his meals in the workshop kitchen and goes to work early. When I go for a shower in the mornings the place smells like pancakes😄

Amongst all this my pensions have been moved to NZ. I have arranged banking, mobile phone (that in itself was 8 visits to the mobile phone provider - their app is incomprehensible), reached the 'details stage' with the architect, filled endless papers for sale of the UK house, arranged to get electricity connected to the property we will build on, finally tracked down the builder who was recommended to us (will meet him on Monday) and taken endless photos of the chooks who have discovered my caravan (halfway between the house and their coop) and found me to be a sucker who gives out rolled oats to visitors.

They seem to think poop outside my door is fair exchange.

And I did an interview for a feature in the local newspaper about getting people out cycling. It got me invited to a business woman's group. Something that never happened in all the years I was a business woman!

About the only thing that is regular is that I cook the evening meals. SiL insists this simple act has created positive change in the family interactions and has very directly asked me not to move up north before Nephew comes home from Canada later this month. He hasn't been home for 6 years and she wants him to feel the vibe. I guess that's a compliment but I feel like a spare wheel - the one bolted underneath the back of the van where it gets all dusty. I miss having Mr B sharing in the minutiae, and home, the home we are going to build still seems so far out of reach.   We chat every day. The internet can be a wonderful thing but we aren't looking at the same stuff together right now - I'm no help with his bereavement and he can't motivate me to clear gorse, bracken and blackberry in the blazing sun.

At least the sun is blazing. I escaped to Havelock for a week and will head south again in the middle of next week to fulfil my promise to SiL. While I have been away N has shared some of his cuisine with the family (they sent me gloating pictures) - which I was very sorry to miss.  He's a great cook.