After enjoying the magic of snow and ice for over 2 weeks Eric went down with a stinking cold, two days later so did I… except it wasn’t a just a cold. After 2 years of escaping the dreaded Covid, it finally caught us. Being fully vaccinated, were leading pretty much our normal lifestyle, and to be honest we were surprised that we hadnt already had it. We’d had the odd snuffle, but each time I tested it came back negative. But there was something about the pounding headache accompanying this cold that prompted me to reveal the double line.
As luck would have it, knowing a thaw in the ice was imminent and we might be moving on, I had walked up to M&S and done a big Christmas food shop. I’d splashed out on some of their part cooked range and plenty of little nibbly bits, all with good use by dates. The only thing I’d forgotten to get was brussel sprouts, but it was only the 20th so there was plenty of time….
But it wasn’t to be. Covid knocked us for 6, the temperatures went up and the rain came down, the debris thrown onto the ice held on for as long as possible, whilst we retired under the duvet feeling sorry for ourselves.
And we can’t even say there was anything worth watching on tv this year. Our biggest worry was that we had just come through 2 weeks of water rationing. Using the local launderette and enjoying a swim and a shower at the leisure centre, making sure our tank lasted longer than our period of being frozen in. But even now, if we had felt well enough to move, morally, we felt it our duty not to go outside and share our germs, so yet again we were grateful that Firecrest had been built with a large water tank as we eeked out our supply to last another week. Fortunately fuel hadn’t been an issue during the freeze. Juel’s had delivered just as the ice was forming and then they also got stuck. But they were going past us a week after Eric succumbed so he masked up, unlocked the fuel cap and retreated back inside whilst they topped up the diesel. (£1.32l)
And once the awful headache had passed I was able to get on with knitting my Christmas gnome.
Christmas Day was very subdued, Santa Claus hadn’t been able to do his usual stuff but we still managed an orange and a chocolate to start the day
And Id found something suitable for us to drink with lunch
We finally felt fit enough to make it to the water point on 27th. That was exactly 28 days since we last filled up. We reckon we could have managed another day or two, but my temperament was sorely frayed at not being able to have a proper wash. Good job we didn’t have much of a sense of smell
We’re now looking forward to a new year. Taking things easy cause we still feel washed out.