20th March

Sorry there has been such a long delay between posts. Following an amazing couple of weeks with my niece Jackie, over from Texas, we visited the house in Stafford and camped out with no landline, cable or wi-fi for the weekend, amazing how much you can miss them when they are no longer there. We packed up some bits and bobs but actually spent most of the weekend hanging out with family, great.

Since we have come back to Cornwall we have learnt that the purchaser wants us out on the 28th of this month so we are travelling back to Stafford tomorrow and packing the house up. We will both be pleased when it has finally gone.

Sunday 9th March
Absolutely gorgeous weather.
There is talk about high waves along the coastline again so we went into Porth Leven to see for ourselves if it is anything worth talking about.
We walked to the end of the pier and it was full of people also wandering, waiting for the high waves.
We lunched outside for the first time this year and it was warm enough even for the Texan and Mum, who feels the cold.

I didn't take any photo's of them but the town was full of Mods and Rockers, and if you are too young to know what they are then that means Motorcyclists and Motor Scooterists. No memories of the Brighton burn ups though, just a rather nice crowd of people.

On Monday we drove to Port Isaac, known to millions as Port Wen home to Doc Martin. It was a breezy day and a degree or so cooler than previous days. The car park is a walk along the cliff path away from the village, but rather that than try to drive down because those streets are narrow with a capital N.

Jackie took lots of photo's as did we all. The dogs were welcome in almost all the shops and certainly all the pubs, which makes a pleasant difference.

We lunched on Fish and Chips, for a change, while the dogs hovered under the table hoping for spillages.

I would certainly go back another day to wander through those narrow streets because a couple of hours is not long enough to take it all in.

On Tuesday we went to the St Constantine Feast which was a showing of the film Grease, hotdogs and waffles and milk shakes and a lot of dressing up. They played the words on the bottom of the screen karaoke style and the local choir and childrens school choir had practised some of the songs so it was a noisy fun evening.

There was even a group of Pink Ladies.


 On Wednesday we went to Trebah Gardens and walked along the twisty paths and up and down the steps, even venturing onto the beach. Another glorious day

Jackie sitting on a wooden seal

 Mum and Jackie on the beach at Trebah

Just look at the height of the bamboo.

On Thursday we took the dogs into Helston to have their hair done and whilst they were being prettied up we visited the Seal Sanctuary at Gweek. There are a lot of babies in there this year, the storms having pushed so many up on to the rocks. Most if not all the babies will be released into the wild soon, once the team can be sure there are no more storms to come for a while.

Jackie made a conquest that day, one of the staff who followed us around making sure we attended all the talks and got the most out of our day. Lovely.

The dogs looked and smelled a lot prettier when we got them back.

although Poppy's top knot was a bit low and Charlie looked more like a mexican hairless than a Scotty.

On Friday we drove Jackie up to Stuarts and left her with him to have her final day in England at Windsor Castle.

9th March

Last Sunday we went to Church and were surrounded by the Children From Hell, so this week we have managed to persuade Jackie we don't need to go. Mind that is a bit harsh to the children I suppose, had anyone attempted to quieten them down it would probably have made more fuss than leaving them to stamp and giggle and kick through the prayers and sermon and readings and hymns.

We have had two glorious days of sunshine. Really. No kidding. No rain at all for two whole days and there is a chance the sun will come through again today. Yesterday we were so pleased to see the sun we managed to get four loads of washing done and dried outside on the line.

Monday it rained. Tuesday it rained. Wednesday it rained.

On Tuesday we discovered there was a Table Top sale of crafts at the Tolmen Centre so Janis got me the email address and I booked a table, my first venture of selling my cards. Very scary.
In the afternoon we drove into Helston and picked up some pictures Mum had had framed and dropped off another to frame for a show.

On Wednesday we completed the WASGIJ which was a relief to everyone. We thought we had lost a piece, but Jackie had kept it in her pocket to make sure she put the last piece in.

On Thursday we were all stir crazy having done little other than walk the dogs through the village due to the poor weather. We packed the car and the dogs and drove over to Perranporth to see for ourselves how it had fared through the storms. We took Jackie to the caravan site and tried to explain for her how it had looked when Granddad and Aunty Grace and then Aunty Billie had been up there. It has all changed now and the caravans are very sophisticated with wooden railed decking for those long summer evenings. The view is still there though.....

The beach is so different it is hard to explain. The first thing to hit us was that you can no longer get onto the main beach from the car park. The bridge over the river is no longer long enough because the river has burst out of its concrete restraints and the bridge now dumps you in fast moving deep water.

So instead we walked through the alley ways to the holiday flats and crossed onto the beach via the little bridge we used to use when Billie was living opposite the beach. The bridge is still there, but the end of the bridge seems to be missing something so it is a scramble to get onto the sand .

So many changes. The pub on the beach is now stranded on top of an island of sand and rocks

I am not sure if Chapel Rock itself has changed shape, i would need to compare old photo's, but the sand around it is now covered in small rocks.

Jackie kept the family tradition and climbed to the top of the rock. In fact she spent a long time up there watching a man trying to surf but not doing very well.

After all the walking and climbing we walked back through the town and reached Pickwicks just in time for lunch (well planned). Afterwards we went into a charity shop and I bought another Jigsaw, just in case the weather breaks again.

we sat in the car to eat our ice cream looking out over the beach. Someone was trying to brush all the sand up off the car park and return it to the beach - a thank less job I think.

For a moment - a horrible moment - we thought the ice cream parlour by the car park had gone, but it was still there and we forced ourselves to have a single scoop just to keep them in business. Being St Pirans day they were planning a bit of a BBQ later on, but by then it was cold despite the sunshine so we got in the car and drove up to St Agnes Beacon then parked and walked along the top of the cliffs with the excellent view of the sea and the shoreline to Perranporth.

On Friday we wandered around Falmouth and had Fish and Chips in our favourite restaurant overlooking the harbour.

Saturday was D day. Mum's friend had looked through my cards and bought £5 worth so I already had my table money. When we got to the hall we realised it was the wrong sort of table top sale, all done for the local pre-school and the only things that sold were second hand clothes and toys. Never mind I sold another 5 cards and froze into the bargain. There was some very nice cake to make up for the disappointment. At least I know to be more careful in my selection of sales and it was a great time for listening to the young mums who all knew one another and were like twittering birds all around me. A cheerful distraction.

March 2nd

Here we are on Sunday again with the week having flown past.

On Thursday we celebrated our 4 week milestone although to be honest it feels both as though we have been here much longer and at the same time as though we have not been here more than a moment. Strange isn't it?

With Jackie staying with us we decided to go into Truro on Friday so that she could change her money and see the Cathedral. It was pelting it down with the harshest coldest rain and there was a wind that could cut through the thickest coat as we walked from the shoppers car park to the Cathedral so Mum and i dived into the cafe and warmed our hands on cups of coffee while Jackie and Janis braved the bank.

As ever the Cathedral was amazing and calming and for a while we could forget the tumultuous weather and relax. I wasn't impressed by the TOWER OF BABEL art exhibition, they said nothing to me, but they must have done to someone to get themselves into the Cathedral in the first place.

Rather than walk the short distance across town to Marks and Spencer so that mother could take a photo from the cafe window, we drove into the multi storey car park. Sadly though there was nothing Jackie could eat as her diet has to exclude Wheat, Sugar and Dairy. We huddled back into our layers and went to Witherspoons on Lemon Quay and had a very nice lunch.

Someone mentioned Jigsaws when we got home so we found a WASGIJ and have started that on the dining room table. Jackie has never done a puzzle like it and isn't impressed that she cannot look at a picture to see where the bits fit in. Ha

Yesterday the rain held off and so did the cold so we took Jackie to see the sea at Gunwalloe and Church Cove. We couldn't believe how different it looks. There is no sand on the beaches just more and more rocks, even on Church Cove, so that the two beaches are looking more alike than ever before. The sand appears to be covering what used to be the grassy area behind Church Cove. Jackie took lots of photo's and we wandered about a bit. The dogs had a wonderful time. Then we went into the church and wandered around a bit more. Only Jackie went onto Gunwalloe, it was too rocky for the rest of  us.

The sun was shining a little and it was almost warm, through layers of coats and gloves anyway.

We went through to The Lizard and it was cold again.

After lunch in the cafe there Janis and Jackie walked down to the bottom and I walked around at the top. Mum stayed in the car and kept warm, very wise. It wasn't a rough water day, which is when i love the Lizard most with the spray high above the rocks and so much sea around you swelling and receding that you feel as though the land you are standing on should be moving too. 

Back home to the WASGIJ and watching the birds outside the dining room window. Mum puts food out nearly every day and the place is swamped in no time at all. 

Life is pretty good though it would be better if Mum felt stronger. Some days she is really good and able to walk through the village with the dog and paint and do all the things she wants to do, and then other days she is tired easily and feels generally unwell. It may have something to do with being 95 but whatever it is she isn't happy about it. Jackie has noticed a big difference in her since her last visit to Texas. It could be partly the weather which has been so cold and wet for so long.

Off to Church with Jackie now, first time in Constantine Church since Dad's funeral.