Wolds Diary: Frustrating run of bad luck leaves me all but housebound

I should have known better. The fireworks started at about 10.30pm and went on until about 1.30am. The dogs were terrified so any intention I had of getting some sleep were scuppered.

Personally, I loathe fireworks, but accept that they give pleasure to others. The manufacture of them gives employment locally so I shouldn’t complain but it would be fine if they didn’t last quite so long into the small hours.

Anyway, I woke early as I normally do and headed off on a morning walk with the dogs. I’ve been for several walks this week and one of my favourite is on the Hudson Way.

The sky was blue the weather mild and there were very few others around. The dogs had a glorious romp and we went for some way. Brock, my Staffie, hurled in and out of the bushes and got thoroughly tired. The dogs all found delicious (to them) things to roll in. Then as the walk progressed and we turned to go back, the weather started to change and by the time we got back to the car it had started to rain. The skies were a dull grey and it became quite miserable. The dogs didn’t care and slept soundly once we got home.

The weather has meant that it doesn’t take long for the car to get grubby and the back window gets very murky. We have a great hand car wash on the A1079 not far away and the lads there always take such care to do a good job.

I actually did quite a bit of housework as well this last week and as a result visited our wonderful local tip with a box of glasses I no longer need and a couple of bits of furniture that I find are redundant. They are great at the tip. Then I headed into our Co-op where I ran into a couple of fiends I haven’t seen for ages and, needless to say, we caught up on each others’ news. One of them had a new German Shepherd rescue dog, from Romania that I met in the car park.

I moved on to pop up to York in the hope of visiting the shop I knew was to have a closing down sale. As I always do I caught the Park and Ride and then once in York went to the shop. It was closed and there was no indication on the door when it would be open.

I went to the market in the hopes of getting a dressed crab from the fishmonger’s stall there. He didn’t have any. The market stalls were very few.

Rather disappointed I went down to the delicatessen that I usually visit and they were shut too, for refurbishment from the flood damage last year.

I finally ended up at a haberdashery shop where I did get two reels of sewing thread, for my patchwork.

In another shop, there were some walnut chocolates on offer so I got a packet - naughty me - my diet should have kicked in by now!

The visit was not a total failure. On the bus coming back I got chatting to a lady that reads this diary who recognized me and she was fascinating. It quite raised my spirits.

The weather has been very varied. On one evening the sky was quite spectacular with a glowing sunset and the blue sky was criss-crossed with the white streaks where aircraft had been. Such evenings are a delight.

On another evening I had to walk down to the post box and the fog was so thick it was like a misty alien world.

I don’t think this has really been my week. My car lock zapper won’t work, and I have had to get the battery replaced. Earlier in the week I came out in an allergic rash. I’m not sure what to. I managed somewhere along the way to catch another cold as well. I am sneezing and coughing again, so apart from the essential chores I’m reduced to staying in except for dog walking.

My self confinement has meant I have got on with my next patchwork quilt. It is starting to look rather good.

I had shampooed the carpet earlier in the week, but then I gave the dogs a couple of rope toys and now the pieces of them are all over the floor. I am just hoping that next week will be much better.