Good grief, it’s been a while…
Okay… it’s been a LONG while.
2022 was… yeah. First we drowned, then we roasted, then we froze.
2023 so far… is crap. Major and absolute CRAP.
January was freezing cold. Guests booked and then cancelled due to weather, strikes and all sorts.
And because that wasn’t enough of a crappy start — it got worse.
I got a message from my Dad that my mum is in hospital because she had a heart attack. So there I was, trying desperately to find someone to farm sit for me, so I can go see her. I got updates every day, and it was mostly “She’s improving.”
And then I got the worst possible call on the 17th.
So, instead of needing a farm sitter to go visit my mum, I needed one so I could attend her funeral. It still doesn’t seem real.
My friend Phil came to my rescue, and I headed off to Stuttgart. First part of the train journey was okay, got to Paris on schedule, caught the Metro to Gard de l’Est and boarded the train to Stuttgart.
And then… we stopped. Somewhere about 60km from Strasbourg, sat there for an hour, then were told we’re going to push the train attached to ours backward. For an hour and a half, at 40km/h.
I should have arrived in Stuttgart at 17:05. Instead I finally got there at 21:38! They even made us change trains in Karlsruhe. FFS SNCF, do better.
I arrived with 2 broken bags, a broken phone, and exhausted.
While it was nice to see my Dad, and the new flat, it still didn’t seem real.
For me, my mum is in the old apartment. I’d not seen the new one, so there were no memories of her for me there, which made it easier.
I didn’t go to see her in the coffin. I made that mistake once, and I will never do it again. I want to remember her chattering away, telling me all sorts of stuff.
Besides, like I said, my mum is at the old apartment for me. Denial is a great thing. (It still hurts though, because I know it’s not the case.)
Trip back was relatively uneventful.
Both horses coughing hard, Jezzy’s eye really bad, and her butt was raw too. Took Jezzy to a new vet, who put her on meds. It’s better but not gone yet, so likely another visit.
Same vet also came for the horses, and I finally got Timmy scanned and have his chip number. Horses are still coughing, and Stormy sounds particularly rough. No vaccines available either, but at least they were all wormed for encysted redworm. (Did not find any, so all is well on that front.)
New chickens are here as well, but the coop has a broken roof. Need to fix that, but it’ll be a two man job.
So that was January.
February started off with cancellations again. Yay.
So right now, I’m a bit depressed. But at least the weather is decent.
Oh yeah, it was Stormy’s 7th Birthday on the 21st, and I let the boys in the garden. So here is one of the Birthday pics: