freezing days

My hands and feet are perpetually cold, with intermittent Raynaud’s both in toes and fingers. It is a record winter for Raynaud’s for sure. I might have to ask my GP for a prescription of nifedipine to help with this but I am a bit reluctant because it is medication also used to treat high blood pressure, which I don’t have. But having useless fingers is not fun. It happens inside and outside and I get it without even a sudden temperature drop or vibrations (which for me are also Raynaud’s triggering). When I go outside, I usually wear silk thermal lining gloves under mittens, woollen socks on my feet. I should go to the shops but driving the car is the worst trigger of all (cold steering wheel and vibrations). So for now I am sitting with Jack on my lap. Frankie is in his crate, asleep. He gets very excited and hyperactive and has not learned yet that he could just stop being bonkers and sleep. So he needs a helping hand with that. Frankie thinks nipping toes is the funniest game ever. It is quite difficult to use positive reinforcement when the pup clings to your slippers and won’t let go…. But we’ll get there. I might have to get new slippers. Richard the numpty thought it would be fun to introduce the floor mop as a toy. I am struggling to understand how an intelligent man can have such a stupid idea. Because now it is impossible to sweep and mop floors without the pup chasing it. Floor cleaning is necessary several times a day with the pup that loves to shred toilet rolls and sometimes gets surprised by his bladder needing emptying suddenly. Thank goodness for sealed hardwood floors is all I am saying. 

Earlier today I went volunteering despite the freezing weather. We are back to an old site for maintenance. Some snowberry clearing and dead hedge rebuilding. I did a decent amount of sewing, my favourite task. We have been thinning out young growth trees to promote stronger growth of fewer young trees, with enough space for understory vegetation and shrubs. The resident robins love it when we clear the woodland floor, they hang around on the dead hedges, darting into the understory to catch disturbed invertebrates. This is very funny to watch. Robins are more territorial than terriers!

Anyway, just a quick catch-up really. Thanks for visiting 😊