A Room With a Bruise

Downstairs in our home has steps. Lots of them. All over the place. Our abode moulds itself round an incline. The ground floor is where all changes in level are accommodated with these steps. Steps are very tricky when you're on crutches. Steps are why I'm in this mess. 

Due to the quirky layout of our home, a former blacksmith's forge, our bedroom is downstairs. Consequently I've decided to base myself upstairs in the spare bedroom. With its ensuite shower room on the same level, it's much easier to get to the loo without resorting to undignified bum shuffling. 

I can see out of a window from my perch, where I rest my ankle. There are sheep in the far field wandering about grazing on brown grass. The farmer delivers barley, dispensed from his trailer. The sheep start to run, eager to greet it. 

The morning light today is clear and bright. A breeze is teasing extremities on the trees which sway gently as if waving good morning. It makes me smile. Occasionally they stir with more vigour, as if they have caught the drift of a new piece of exciting gossip they must urgently pass on. 

The spiky silhouettes of my dracaena houseplants stand to attention from their spot near the window, a hauty salute to the new day ... we accept the generous radiance you bestow even if we can't get out to enjoy it.

It's all kicking off, Sue

I had an accident going down some steps. This is maybe the fourth time I have hurt myself there. I rush about, distracted by something else I'm thinking about. Consequently, I don't pay sufficient attention to what I'm doing. 

There are four steps from my kitchen going down into the utility room. They go down on a curve turning a left handed right angle. The steps are therefore narrower on the inside of the curve than the outside. My foot missed the final tread and I ended up in a groaning heap on the floor. 

The last time I did this, it was only a twisted ankle but on this occasion, an x-ray revealed a broken bone on the top of my foot. It doesn't hurt when it's immobile but moving about causes some pain. I've got this snazzy new boot to wear which keeps it still, it's very helpful. 

 Putting weight on it is excruciating, I have a pair of crutches to help me hobble about about. I'm waiting on a call from the Fracture Clinic who will want to x-ray it again after a few days. The doctor in the Urgent Treatment Centre thinks I may get away without having to have an operation. I remember breaking my toe way back in the 90s, that was the same, you just have to wait for it to heal.

I had great treatment from the UTC at Grantham, Doctor Henry, nurses Julie and Karen, the receptionist ... all were fantastic. The NHS is full of caring, helpful, valuable people like them. I am in their debt.

Wild fires in North Yorkshire

 

This is a screenshot of NASA's satellite FIRMs surveillance. It shows areas where thermal activity is taking place.

I've marked where our caravan is with a small black X (half way down, to the left). This shows the pass the satellite made on 28 August after the Fire Brigade put in fire breaks only 1,000 metres away to stop the fire spreading further North.

This photograph was taken from the static caravans on the other side of the road, our caravan is located just beyond the security barrier you can see at the top of the image. The Fire Brigade evacuated the site, roads around the site were closed whilst a "farmy army" of volunteers joined them and worked around the clock to keep settlements safe. It must have been a frantic time moving livestock to safer areas. At the time of writing, roads re-opened closest to our site only yesterday.

The fire stops worked and we're glad to say they halted the fire's progress. The Fire Brigade, farmers, National Trust rangers and volunteers have done an amazing job of preventing the fires from destroying settlements. We are very thankful. 

Moorland, which will regenerate, has been scorched over a large area. We know many trees have been lost, some ancient woodland also destroyed, which is the most upsetting outcome, given how much wildlife it supports.  I hope all the creatures were able to escape, inevitable that there must have been casualties. If we had lost the caravan - it can easily be replaced. 

Only a few days before we heard about the fire, we had been up there walking on the moors. This is a photograph taken looking towards the alum mine which was also evacuated. The fire went right up to it, only halted on the opposite side of the road running by it due to the tireless good work of everyone involved.

There was a small fir tree we passed, close to the path. MTM joked about it. It was so small, less than 2 ft tall. If someone cut it down and took it home, it would become known as Christmas Tree gap. I know ... it's in very poor taste, he has a dark sense of humour but it made me laugh. I resolved to take a photograph of it as we came back to remind me. I forgot. 

Isn't it daft of me to be upset over that little tree every time I think of it now?

The heather was out and everything was looking quite beautiful. Our thoughts and good wishes are with everyone who lives and works permanently in the area.