Month: October 2024

I had an appointment at Specsavers. Having ordered some reading glasses because my varifocals were not performing too well when I do a lot of reading. A week later they said my check up appointment was due! So why didn’t they look this up?! Of course I did complain and when I had all the tests, my prescription has changed and the optometrist said this was probably why I was struggling reading. He was a really nice man and said the money I had paid for the reading glasses would be refunded!  Good man!

Today’s update on Grace’s progress…..

She is now loose lead training.

In the afternoon I received an email from Torin’s Headway memory page. This was it…………

New tribute message Hello maggie daniel A new message has been added to your tribute page, ‘In Loving Memory of Torin Daniel’ i love you dad, always missing u. this is the only money i have left. To manage your page, please click here to login Best wishes, Headway

I looked it up and it was Scarlet and yet again, my heart breaks. I just wish we could talk to her and Jack and tell them just how much their dad loved them both.

Into work and it was also Jack’s first day back after his holiday. A new volunteer fell over last week and broke his ankle and then Penny came in and she had been in London the weekend, lovely show, meal etc and then her husband fell on the stairs to the underground and ended up in St Thomas’s with damaged neck, ribs and arm. I think there is a message here, us oldies have to take a lot of care!

To the other end of the spectrum, two lovely photos of our great grandchildren.

Luna……little pumpkin

and Arlo………….

We are blessed!

We headed for the 9.10 ferry, only a couple of miles away from Woodside Bay Lodge Retreat. We were there early and so they let us on the earlier ferry which was just about to leave. We were right at the back which was good, plenty of room to let Ellie out.

We sat in the dog lounge and it was funny that Ellie kept pulling towards a teenage girl at another table who was obviously severely autistic and couldn’t speak.  Uncanny how Ellie knows but she spent the entire crossing sitting next to the girl and being stroked by her!

Loads of road works on the way home and even a long part of the A3 was closed for the weekend. Lots of traffic jams as well.

We had a take away in the evening.

This was the second day I had a brown bath! I rang reception and asked if there was a problem. The maintenance man came straight away and checked the water which of course was then running clear but he said there had been a major water leak just up the road and they had been working on it the last couple of days and last night. Let’s hope my next bath is clear.

Today I discovered the isleofwightguru.co.uk    I wish I had found it before!

Waze has found us a way to get to Shanklin avoiding all the roadworks so off we went. We went into the old village first and bought some bits to take home. We then went down to the sea front.  We stopped for a a drink at The Steamer Inn . We sat outside facing the sea. They are very dog friendly and we glanced at the menu which was very good so we stayed for lunch. It was such a lovely day to sit outside.

After lunch, we sat on the beach in the sun!

Eventually bac k to the lodge to pack. The week has gone far too quickly. I feel we would come here more often if it wasn’t for the ridiculous cost of the ferry.

We only gave Ellie a short walk as she is getting a bit worn out with all the walking! We then went to Quarr Abbey. We remembered Ellie loves the pigs there and there was a new group of piglets.

We went into the cafe for coffee while we were there and in their shop. It is a very peaceful place to spend a morning.

In the afternoon we went for a walk just through the wood.  There are a lot of feeders in the woods for the red squirrels.

We then sat on the beach for quite a long while watching the ferries go in and out of the island.

We were the only ones on the beach!

So, a much better weather was forecast and with that in mind we booked a table at The Best Dressed Crab. Knowing my love of shellfish we agreed this would be our special meal of the holiday. They do a platter which we decided we would have and share. This is it.

I was so looking forward to it and then in the morning the restaurant phoned to say they hadn’t managed to catch any crabs, so the dressed crab was off the menu!! So, I cancelled. No point as the crab made up some of this dish.

Instead Mal came up with the bright idea of going to Ryde and finding a nice restaurant there. Well we parked up and walked all around Ryde, up and down the hills and found nothing we really fancied. It was getting later and later and seeing as everywhere we seemed to go on the island there were terrific hold ups, we decided to go to the Blacksmiths as we have never had a bad meal there and they love dogs. There is a basket full of dog blankets as you walk in the door and also a huge jar of dog treats.

The meal was very good and I had the Mariner Pie.

The pub has won many awards and I have to say my raspberry creme brulee is the best dessert I have ever had!

The pub is in such a nice place with fantastic views.

A bonus, the sat nav took us back to the lodge avoiding all the blocked roads but again, single track lanes!

 

We were up early and through the wood, on to the beach. They forecast heavy rain but it didn’t happen!

We had a long walk on the beach and watched the ferry leaving.

After breakfast we headed for the Garlic Farm. Another road closure which sent us a good extra 10 miles to get there. I have never known so many road closures.

We eventually arrived (down single track lanes) and took Ellie on one of the walks.

and then back in to the shop for sampling and purchasing!

We really spent most of the day dodging the rain but decided to drive to Shanklin…….another road closure, I found it difficult to believe so many roads are closed. No wonder there were so few people in Shanklin.

We had lunch (crab sandwich) in Pencil Cottage Tea Garden and then went into their shop. Couldn’t believe it, everything in the shop was half price, so obviously I now have a few Christmas presents! We chatted for ages to the lady in there. The people who own Pencil Cottage raise money for a school in Gambia.