About Me

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Hi! I'm Eunice and I live in Bolton, Lancashire, with my two dogs Sophie and Sugar and an assortment of cats - well it used to be Sophie and Sugar, now it's Sophie and Poppie. I first began camping back in 1997 when my then partner took me to Anglesey for my birthday weekend. We slept in the back of the car - a hatchback - using the cushions off the settee at home as a mattress, and cooked and brewed up on a single burner camping stove. The site was good, the views were great, the weather fantastic and I was completely hooked. Following that weekend we got a two-man tent and some proper accessories and returned to Anglesey two weeks later, then over time we progressed to a three-man tent followed by an old trailer tent, then a new trailer tent, a campervan and finally a caravan. When my partner decided that the grass was greener on the other side of the street - literally - in April 2009 and I suddenly found myself alone after fifteen years, I decided there was no way I was going to give up camping and caravanning if I could cope on my own. This blog is the story of my travels, trials and tribulations since becoming a solo camper - I hope you like it

Saturday February 27th 2016 - Signs of spring and first camp booked

After what seems like an interminably long mild and very wet winter things on the weather front at long last seem to be improving. It started raining on October 26th last year, and other than five very scattered days which were completely dry it's rained incessantly until just over a week ago. Since then though, it's been fine and cold with a few extremely frosty early mornings, but along with the cold the days have been full of sunshine and clear blue skies and I've finally been able to take the dogs out for some good long walks. 

 As I've been walking round my local area I've noticed a few signs of early spring appearing so yesterday I took the camera with me and got a few shots of some crocuses and snowdrops - definitely a sign that spring isn't too far away now. A walk though the local golf course showed me that the tips of the gorse bushes are beginning to turn yellow - another few weeks and they will all be in full bloom, creating vivid splashes of colour along the fairways and footpaths.

The nicer days have also encouraged me to think about this year's camping trips and I've now booked my first one - Easter at Felin Uchaf in North Wales, the very quiet and peaceful site I went to at Easter last year. By the time Good Friday comes along next month it will be exactly six months since my last camp; I had every intention of camping at least once during the winter months but the continuous heavy rain put paid to that idea so I'm really looking forward to this Easter weekend. The weather last Easter was glorious so I'm keeping my fingers crossed (and the dogs are crossing their paws) for some more of the same this time. I've thought of a couple of different places to explore over that weekend and I'm hoping I can get lots of good photos, so watch this space.
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6 comments:

  1. Su-sieee! Mac2 March 2016 at 02:40

    Happy First of March, Eunice. The first golden poppy marks the beginning of Spring for me. I wonder if snowdrops would grow in California. I'm envious of your continuous rain since October. We have been getting more rain, but not steadily. Hopefully, the weather guys are correct and we'll be having rain, rain, and more rain in March.

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  2. Tigermouse2 March 2016 at 09:56

    I don't think you would have wanted this rain, it was heavy and incessant and caused a lot of grief to many people over here. Several areas of the country were flooded before, during and after Christmas and New Year, one area was flooded twice within weeks - fourteen inches of rain fell in just one day - and many many homes and businesses were ruined. I'm lucky that the small estate where I live is halfway up a hill on the northern outskirts of town but just to the south of the town a new estate was flooded when the nearby river burst its banks. This country is well known for its rainfall but I've never known it rain so hard for so long as it has done this winter :(

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  3. klahanie3 March 2016 at 03:18

    Hi Eunice,

    Wonderful photos and sure hints that the rebirth that is spring, is finally starting to happen. The weather has been so mixed as of late. Sunny, one minute, pouring with rain and a bit of snow, the next.

    I know you will have a great time in your next camping adventure. Wales is a truly magical place.

    All the best, my kind friend.

    Gary :)

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  4. Tigermouse3 March 2016 at 09:44

    I'm really looking forward to the Easter trip Gary, I feel like I've been under house arrest because of all the rain we've had since October. Now I can't wait to pack up the van and get on the road for my first trip.

    Best wishes and woofs to you and Penny :)

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  5. Bag End Gardener18 April 2016 at 13:28

    When we got our caravan last year I also thought I would use it throughout the winter - how hard can it be to go away just for a weekend once a month? Love your comment to Gary about being under house arrest - that is *exactly* what this winter has felt like.

    Hmmmph, that was before the wettest winter I can remember, I'd like to strangle whichever twit thought that naming storms was a good move. Just gave the damn things ideas above their station.

    Am embarrassed at how long it is since I used the van, but hopefully by the end of this month or early May I will have remedied that 🐾

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  6. Tigermouse18 April 2016 at 21:37

    I really don't see the point of giving human names to storms - it doesn't make them, or their effects, any better or easier to deal with. I suppose that's yet another Americanism (is that a proper word?) that's found its way over here :(

    Very frustrating that the wet winter weather has stopped you from using your caravan, I hope you manage to get away in it soon.

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I really appreciate good comments - who doesn't? - but due to a recent tide of spam from anonymous readers all comments will now be moderated, and only those with a direct bearing on this blog will be published. I'm sure my regular blog readers/commenters will understand the need for this - and to anyone whose comment isn't published, you know why.

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