On we go indeed. In my last post I spoke scathingly about the Beast from the East appearing as the Kitten from Thames Ditton, but of course, I spoke too soon. Last week was, apparently, the coldest in Hastings for 30 years. Battleaxe and Philosopher have still been diligently going out for our walks, partly because we now have a canine walking companion. And oh… excitement of the week. We got a new tumble dryer…
This is the fountain on the sea front in Hastings. It was absolutely freezing for the whole of last week. All our garden plants have shrivelled up. It was so cold it was totally dry – virtually no snow either. I even read that in Devon and Cornwall the vegetation was so dried out by the cold they had grass fires. Battleaxe and Philosopher had to take to wearing nightclothes – without giving away too many of our bedroom secrets, we normally don’t wear anything, but when you get a bit older you have to get up in the night to go to the loo, and hanging round stark naked in an icy house is not great. Nighties and pyjamas were a lot more comfortable.
Canine companion? Yes, he is called Bear, and he lives next door with neighbours Mat and Clare. Our Digby hates dogs, so we could never let one in the house. Come to think of it, Digby is a jealous cat, hating anything or anyone that comes in here. He is very friendly with people outside, but sulks and glares when they come indoors. Of course, during lockdown he has not had to share his domain with anyone at all, which has probably made him yet more tyrannical. In a previous post I was worrying about his weight. Well, he is still kept inside at night, and may be marginally – a tiny bit – thinner. Back to Bear, the dog. He is a dear little thing – a short-legged cross possibly between a beagle and a corgi. He was acquired by our neighbours as an older dog, a rescue, and has clearly been beautifully trained in an earlier life. He is very well-behaved and cheerful, and clearly enjoys his outings. I really appreciate good behaviour – have no patience with, or time for, dogs that bark and bump and bore all over the place. Must be being brought up with so many, I suppose.
Another thing that Battleaxe has no time for – dog poo all over the pavements. During the pandemic it has been just terrible. It is hard to raise one’s eyes to appreciate the beauties of nature when you have to scan the path ahead of you all the time. Needless to say we pick up Bear’s. Well, I say ‘we’ but I only did it once. Philosopher does it…
Every time I look at Facebook in the mornings right now, it shows up a memory of us being somewhere else, often abroad. This time last year we were having a great time in Vienna. This time in 2019, we were staying in the Grand in Folkestone. The year before that, Las Palmas, freezing cold, I remember… Year before that, Valetta, Malta. Year before that, Madrid, also freezing cold, then Madeira.…, then Lisbon, and so on. Shows that Battleaxe likes a break at this time of year…. but no chance in 2021. We are in grey and rainy Hastings, enjoying this bleak view of the fishing beach.
But hey – a new tumble dryer! Our old one was at least 20 years old. It still rumbled round and round willingly enough, but had ceased to emit any drying heat. The new one is a Beko, from Appliances Online (AO). Battleaxe would totally recommend AO. Despite the fact that due to Covid they were only supposed to leave the appliance outside, two nice young men carried it up the steps, then took off all the packaging and put the thing in the utility room for us. Better still, you could track their progress towards us in their van on a live map. Just shows what little we have to excite us these days …’oooh’ I called to Philosopher, ‘they are in Bulverhythe… oooh they’ve stopped in Harley Shute Road … they are on the sea-front – oh no – they have to deliver to a house up those steep steps off George Street in the Old Town… oooh they are coming up Harold Road…’
Ah well.
Hello Stephanie,
These are definitely strange days and, as you write, many things are sent to try us, but other things, taken for granted in a pre=pandemic world, now fill us with joy. The world has turned upside down!
Bear looks adorable. What a marvellous companion he must make for your walks but we are not surprised that your cat does not welcome him into the house. Our cat never really tolerated a kitten that was brought in as a rescue. Indeed, 19 years on and they were still absolutely not the best of friends. Cats are very territorial and the only people they seem to really greet are the ones who dislike cats intensely. Strange….
Still, good to be by the sea. We should love that whatever the weather.
Hello Stephanie,
These are definitely strange days and, as you write, many things are sent to try us, but other things, taken for granted in a pre=pandemic world, now fill us with joy. The world has turned upside down!
Bear looks adorable. What a marvellous companion he must make for your walks but we are not surprised that your cat does not welcome him into the house. Our cat never really tolerated a kitten that was brought in as a rescue. Indeed, 19 years on and they were still absolutely not the best of friends. Cats are very territorial and the only people they seem to really greet are the ones who dislike cats intensely. Strange….
Still, good to be by the sea. We should love that whatever the weather.
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Hello Jane, Thanks for that. Yes, indeed, cats are strange beings. Secretly, I’m a dog person – so much more willing and trainable. But dogs are difficult if you are out and about a lot – which hopefully, will be us again before too long.