This is the view from bedroom today. The snow has arrived, which doesn’t seem too bad but the windchill is horrid – minus 9 celsius.

Today has not been brilliant.   I can live with all the other symptoms except for the interminable headaches which make me miserable.  The coughing is not much fun either.

I am lucky, though, everyone is pitching in with the animals. The girls my OH have gone out all day distributing extra silage and making sure water is available.  I know the animals are in capable hands, which is a huge help and relief.  I don’t have to worry.

I haven’t left my pit since yesterday. I can’t ever remember feeling this awful whilst being concious.  I drift in and out of sleep and feel so ill when I am awake.

Of course, I have my nurse on duty who wants the duvet far more than she wants to be with me.  On the left, those are my socked feet sticking out because BeAnne always puts up a good fight and there is no budging.  Not never.  I gave up long ago.

Later on in the day, BeAnne decided to sleep with her head down the bed.  Those are feets sticking out.

But she is my constant companion and it is nice that she bothers – in her own little way.

The resemblance is strking to this painting by Paul Doyle called “Spoilt”!

I tried to eat some scrambled eggs but the thought was better than the actual eating.  BeAnee was happy to wash up.

Symptoms:
Nausea was yesterday, that has gone but I have no appetite.
Unceasing and unresponsive headache on front of head, side of head and back of neck.
Photophobia – yesterday I couldn’t even turn on an ipad for the glare.
No internal thermostat – yesterday I was cold to my bones.  Today I am either too hot or too cold – there is no middle ground.
I ache all over
Endless bloody coughing.
I sleep a lot.

I can live with everything but the headaches.  They are wearing and horrid.

Sorry, I am in my pit feeling very ill.

I ache therefore I am.

So cold, coughing, headache, feeling sick, my bones ache.

This is one of Lambie’s best photos from the other day when he came in the house.

It is a lovely picture, capturing everything – Lambie’s noble profile, his Garbo look whilst incorporating a bottle of Marc Jacobs’ Daisy perfume belonging to Daisy, coincidentally.

In a moment of madness, and possibly gin, I decided to take it further.  I mocked up a lovely advertisement, even finding their same font (Engravers Gothic, now you know).

I mean what is not to love?  It is perfection.

So I emailed my creation along with a little message to Marc Jacobs’ office explaining that if they were interested in using Lambie that he was very amenable and we could arrange something.

One hour later, I received their reply.

I have to wonder if they even looked at the photo.

(I am also quite depressed that they wrote “inquiry” (in this Shire, it starts with an e), “utilize” (z seriously?) and “modeling” (two l’s please) and their inappropriate, if random, use of an exclamation mark, capital letters and paragraphs – I am seriously tempted to mark their email and send it back to them. 

But, on the plus side, they did manage to spell my name correctly which is the first hurdle most folk fall at and I am not perfect.)

Lambie and I take rejection badly.

Very badly.

Soulless bunch.

I think Spring is just around the corner.

Earlier this week, from my car, I saw this little black and white pile.  It demanded some further investigation

Once I had confirmed its identity (exactly what I had hoped it was), – an oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) – I felt happy knowing winter is on its way out, albeit very slowly, and we probably still have some Arctic flurries to go.

But an oystercatcher is an oystercatcher.  The first one you see in the year is always the best one!

This morning, on my way home from Sumburgh airport (youngest off south), I drove past this amazing beach and I decided I should take some pics as the light was magical.

This is West Voe off Sumburgh Head – one of the four Shetland beaches that have won a Seaside Award from Keep Scotland Beautiful.

There was a very cold wind blowing.

The waves were huge and I felt very buffeted as I stood at the top of the sand dunes.

As you can see, it is very close to the airport!

The ruins are the prehistoric and Norse settlement, Jarslhof.

When I got home, I found the horses lying down out of the fierce wind, except for Efstur who immediately stood up when he realised I might be taking a photo.  He then decided to annoy his bestie, Hjalti.

Spring is called Voar here from Old Norse ‘var’.

Just around the corner.  I hope I am not being lulled into a false sense of security.