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Wednesday, 25 July 2018

OUT IN THE COUNTRY BY FIONA CUMMINGS

 Oh, it has been the most wonderful day. I am buzzing. We left early today and went for an hour to a beautiful unique forest. We drove through countryside. Something I have so missed since we moved here. I’m living in the city but I’m not a city gal. today we passed mock Tudour houses and  chocolate box buildings and tiny miner’s cottages.

 We drove in and out of tiny lanes so narrow when a car came our way, it was up to our friend who was driving, or the other car to pull over somewhere. When Pip said if we have to pull over, there is a big ditch, I think I aged a few years. Thankfully the other driver did the moving and we drove on.

 

We parked our car and got out and took in the air. It was very earthy. It was so warm. Almost like the rainforest. Oh, I loved it. And around each corner, there was a painting on canvas. Of flowers, old cottages. Hills and sheep and then there was a beautiful painting of hills and a farm house in the distance. I believe they will light up by dusk! Then there was a bench to sit on and take in the view. It was down a valley looking over a tiny quaint village with large hills in the background. It would have been lovely to see that, but we can’t we must be grateful it was described to us. We got a photograph but again though we can’t see it, we have it and you never know one day, if a cure happens, if some scientists come across a cure for blindness… we live in hope.

 

I let my Waggatail off her lead but Hub worked The Little Fella. And LF worked so very well. No way mine would work in such an environment. She would be too busy sniffing.  It was great to see Hub walking with such ease. LF is so good. He loves his Dad and he loves guiding. On the way back, Hub let LF off and he played with glee with his big sister and it was nice under the canopy of trees. So, the sun wasn’t directly on them. I blew the whistle a couple of times to recall them and they came back immediately. Gave them a treat and on their way, they ran off again.

 

And then back to the car. Well Pip is not too good at finding the car. I tried to navigate her and we got close, but still couldn’t find it. So, a lovely guy came passed on a pushbike we asked him if he wouldn’t mind riding down that track as it was the only one we didn’t try. Haha. He did and came back to tell us that was our car down there.  We were about a three-minute walk from it. Pip said she was mortified that she had to be guided almost to the car, by a blind person… there is a bit of a pigeon in me. I always have been able to find cars or our way back when lost, especially if there is no noise, and it was so silent.

 

Oh, I loved it. As we got to the car, gave the dogs a drink. We headed off and found a pub along the way called the grapes. We sat at a table on the patio for a while and then went in for lunch. Wow, it was my perfect pub. It had a coal fire though it wasn’t lit, as it’s boiling, but it was so quaint like the pubs in Northumberland where I used to live. The kind I have missed. You don’t get them in our city. There all modern or old with no character.

 

This was beautiful. Peaceful too and our dogs were great they just lay under the table but it was funny, as when the food was ready in the kitchen, the chef rang his bell to tell the landlady. But he bells was identical to our door bell so our dogs both together jumped up with delight. Who was coming? Who was visiting them? As of course every single person who comes to our house only comes to visit our dogs.

 

 

Well it was a lovely lunch and a even better day out. We both enjoyed it so much.

What a difference it makes to get out. This is a new start for us as Pip loves to go out with us. And I love to see my dogs happy. They are back home now and absolutely shattered. As am I. I walked almost three miles and was surprised to learn that, when I got back to the car, Hub tracked it on his iPhone. If I was told I was going to do that amount of walking, I would be exhausted before I even sat off. Haha, but I’m not tired because of the walking just the shock of the wonderful day we have had. And tomorrow we are off to the beach. It’s been too long since I was near a beach in England.

 

People do wonder what blind people get out of walking in the countryside or anywhere. Well it’s breathing fresh air for one. Hearing the sound of silence. Knowing our dogs are enjoying themselves. It’s not fun for them to work all the time. For us, to be away from home and work for a while, just to be as normal as anyone sighted. We can’t see what’s out of the window or what is in front of us and that is a gift that is worth more than any amount of money, a gift I doubt we will ever have, but we can sit at home in these four walls or experience a different feeling of a different place. And that is what we did today.

 

Hub is now playing our piano and our dogs are flat out in their bed in front of the fire of course it’s not on as it’s still boiling hot.

We are waiting for a lady to come for a half hour meeting and after then, the night is ours. Our Son is working sadly till late. And tomorrow is our day at the beach.

Until later, with love.

 

 

 

     

  

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