Holiday In Brecon Beacons

Yesterday morning I got picked up by Rachel and Charlie and we went over the border to Wales to spend a couple of days in Rachel's parents barn. It was so nice to leave the city and be surrounded by fields, mountains and sheep. Rachel's dad made us help out in the garden, we went for hikes and we made a sparkling bonfire. The barn (although surprisingly comfortable) was a very cold building and I think we wore more clothes inside than outside. I had planned to go to Ireland for a couple of days, but I'm not sure I need it now. I've got a few more days of holiday and no firm plans.

Some pictures to sum up the last two days...

Working for dinner

Evening hike

Before sunset

The Barn

A windy day

Bonfire time

All Love

The Day I Got Rescued

So, as you might have noticed in my previous posting I spent the weekend in the Lake District (north west of England) in the company of some good friends. We stayed in a lovely cottage a few minutes away from the lake with surrounding hills making an amazing scenery. With the cottage came 2 canadian canoes, resulting in the major adventure of our holiday.

Saturday morning we started off with a good fry-up, ready and excited about the day's coming adventure. We left Jim's dog behind and set off to the lake, all dressed up in life jackets that were a bit too tight. The canoes were made for 2 people but we decided to use them as 3-men canoes although it made the paddling a bit uneven. I would say on the whole the girls managed better than the boys, which could be because Blake and Jim spent most of the time arguing. Within a couple of hours we reached the end of the lake and sat down at a cafe with a hot drink and the packed lunch. After some rest we decided to head back and this is when the adventure started for real.

Ready to set out

On the lake

The wind had picked up a bit and made the water quite choppy. Us girls took the lead as usual, but as we were crossing the bay our canoe hit a wave that sent it tipping over. It's the first time I've gone over in a canoe and it was a most unsuitable time. The water temperature was probably somewhere around 5-6 C which would leave us approximately 30 minutes until we'd fall unconscious and 1-2 hours until the cold would take the best out of us (death). After just a few minutes in the water trying to turn the canoe over and failing we could feel the hypothermia kicking in. The boys came to our aid and collected bags and drowned cameras, and Maria who hasn't got any body fat to speak of held on to their canoe while they were paddling towards the shore. Me and Rachel started swimming, but it was terribly slow and our layers of clothing weighed us down quite heavily. The more you move in cold water, the more body heat you lose. We were lucky though, if luck is something you believe in. At that time the rescue team were out on the lake doing their training, and after a few minutes of us waving to them and them waving back they realised someone was in the water and they came to pick us up. It was a glorious sight! I didn't realise how much energy I'd lost during that time until they were pulling me out of the water and I discovered I had no strength at all. Once out of the water I was slumped like a rag doll on the floor, and so were Rachel and Maria once they'd been rescued out of the water.

They took us back to shore where a whole load of people had gathered to get a view of the action. They took us into their cabin and we were immediately given some hot tea and were assisted getting our wet clothes off. At that point I don't think any of us cared too much about our dignity, shaking heavily we were shown into a changing room where we could have a warm shower. Slowly we started reheating and Jay went to get a car to take us home. I think for all the men involved it was quite an exciting day, and Jim kept entering the changing room for various reasons, although the main reason must have been the thought of three naked girls sharing a shower. We were given some dry clothes and some towels and were taken home where the fire and rum were waiting for us. It was a day to remember!

(We were told had the rescue team not been there we would have struggled to make it to shore and then would have had to spend the rest of our holiday in hospital being treated for severe hypothermia)

The next day we went back and paddled the canoes home, this time on a calm peaceful lake with chill in the air and snow on the mountains. After that we went for a hike up among the hills (where I accidently went into the stream for dip number 2) and then down to the pub for lunch and Rugby.

Beer and Rugby

It was a weekend to remember and I miss the cottage and the company terribly.


All Love

The Lake District Video

Man on Wire

It started off as a cold and a bit of fever; add the runs and top off with 24 hours of nausea and vomiting and you've got my last 48 hours. Yesterday I was in a state of either feeling sick or being sick. Today I managed to eat 2 slices of toast and I'm enjoying being able to sit up for more than 10 minutes without it setting my head spinning. And I'm bored.

Earlier today I watched Man on Wire, a documentary about Philippe Petit, the man who walked on a wire between the twin towers in 1974. It was quite an astounding story, and although he appeared to be quite an eccentric (but then he was French) it is remarkable what people are able to accomplish once they've got their mind set on it. I'm not sure what my dream is or where my destiny lies but I know it's out there beckoning, and maybe my restless feet will find it one day. Saying that, I'm almost 100% sure it does not include a wire and terrifying heights.

All Love

Out For Count

Today I got to work and was told I looked different. When I asked in what way the answer I got was that I looked puffy. Thanks doc! Saying that, I have been working quite a bit overtime and I was shattered at the end of my shift. If I looked puffy at the start I must have looked like a rotten tomato at the end. I nearly fell over a couple of times cycling home, was feeling worse than after my night shifts. Got home, toddled into bed and was out for count for a few hours.

I thank God I have tomorrow off!

A new girl moved into our house yesterday, her name is Naomi and she is lovely! She made carrot cake today, how can she not be a welcomed member of the household?!  :)

All Love

Secrets of a Fighter

I'm sat here quite content with life. I've been fed and watered, the heating is on and I'm in a lovely state of doziness, the kind you get after good exercise, a big meal and a cup of tea. The palm of my hand is still aching slightly from last night's high five challenge with Chris, one of the physiotherapists from work. He challenged me in doing high fives until one of us gave up. None of us gave up; one of his friends finally jumped in to put an end to the torture, and by that time my hand was pretty much on fire; but I would have kept going if I had to. I am a fighter. If I wasn't a fighter I would have broken down a long time ago; there are battles that cause more pain than a swollen and bruised hand.

Sometimes people surprise you and you find out there is more to them than you first thought. Sometimes you surprise people by knowing who they are when they thought no-one could see. Sometimes I am more surprised by myself than by others. We all carry fears and we all have things we want to keep hidden. Like asking someone terrified of heights to take a leap of faith, that's what it's like to ask someone to share that deep secret; for just as a leap cannot be stopped mid-air, so a secret exposed cannot be made secret again. A secret should never be forced out, but should always be given freely. And if someone shares one of them with you, don't you dare to betray that trust. I am a carrier of many secrets, many of them unknown even to myself. Sometimes this scares me, but it gives me comfort knowing that God knows all of them and will reveal them to me as I'm ready to face them. He is the keeper of hearts, and He keeps this heart fighting.

Trust takes time.
Inspirational song of the day:  Whataya Want From Me 


All Love

Good Morning Avon

Woke up this morning determined to head down to the river no matter the weather; I took my bike out just before 8am, the sun rising somewhere behind thick grey clouds as I made my way down towards Kingswood. Truth be told, it would have been far prettier in the summer, autumn or with a cover of snow; today it didn't even have sunshine, it was just plain grey. Anyway, I took a stroll along the river and came across two swans doing their morning hygiene, and they put up quite a show; rolling around in the water, splashing about, flapping their wings and stretching their necks. 

Now home with a cup of tea, pondering what to do with the rest of the day.

All Love