Wind That Knocks You Over

Well, the sun made an appearance today but it did rain like hell too and the wind, my God! And it's still howling now! We FINALLY got out of the house and went to South Molton, a small cattle market town on the gateway to Exmoor. Very dreary place, It would drive me mad to live there, thank God for Torrington. So we went there primarily for a Calor gas heater and calor gas itself to heat my studio. (I do have two electric heaters installed, as it’s a separate building, and these things eat up money on a very low setting). Mole Valley Farmers was the place, a country store, which sells EVERYTHING!!!!!! From garden stuff, agas, wood burners, farm stuff, food, kitchen, bathroom, outside clothes, you name it, they have it! I spent half an hour wandering around with my mouth open and was asked if I needed help twice! (no comments on that one please).





Then we went into the town itself and had a VERY naughty Devonshire Cream Teas, fruit scones, jam, clotted cream and tea (diet out the window) and then home. I’ve been driving the WHOLE week now, I’m not complaining, I do love driving, especially on the National speed limit roads and I love my Dad’s car, a Honda Civic 1.6 Elite . . . beautiful, but there is one downside, it’s automatic (for my Mum who can only drive automatics, though she hasn’t driven for 2 years and hasn’t given me an explanation why). I MISS the old gears, the change down into 3rd from 4th, 2nd on the hills, fantastic! With the automatic it’s NOT the same and I MISS my car, Julia, SO MUCH, she has NEVER been to Devon, that little car would be in her element if she ever does, for a 1 litre engine, she goes fast and has the BEST 2nd and 3rd gears in any car I’ve driven in (which is only 2, my Dad’s Saab 9000 and the car I learnt to drive in, a Rover Metro, probably the worst car on record!). Anyway, my Dad seems to be getting over his cold so it’s back to the back seat for me for a well earned rest!

The pictures today are what the land looked this morning after all the wet weather, the silver lane; I had to get a picture of that and the wet soggy sheep in the field. When we were walking back to the car from the tea I came across the sheep at the market, plus the ones in the lorry all ready to go, were they going to a new farm? Or were they going on their final journey to the abattoir? Who knows, Oh God, if I had had the money in my pocket there and then and the land, I would have bought the LOT! If they were cows I would have walked past them with tears in my eyes trying not to look at them. To all you people reading this who eat meat, SHAME ON YOU!





Not much tomorrow, hopefully more sunshine and hopefully the wind would have dropped too. Let’s hope.

Swaying a little from too much wine and fish and chips,

Emy xxx