Defeated by a potato

Most new ventures encounter teething problems.  As a teacher, I see this all the time.  I produce a phenomenal, water tight, hell, even bullet-proof seating plan that becomes chaos on implementation because I forgot that kids can talk / annoy / insult / bite each other diagonally as easily as they can vertically and horizontally.  An oversight.  No matter, an hour or so later I have version 2 – the ultimate seating plan to end all seating plans!

This venture too has hit a teething problem.  A pretty big one though as in: we are going to need dentures to fix this.  The leisure battery just doesn’t work.  The engine will start, the motorhome will run, we can drive from A to B, but if we want lights on after dark, to use the internet or plug something in, we might as well be plugging it into a potato.  Our leisure battery is basically a potato.  A big one.  A sweet potato perhaps.  So, our lovely plans for day 2 have changed.  Instead of exploring ancient monestarial grounds and cuddling seals (you don’t know they wouldnt’ let me), we are heading for a battery shop!  Yessss!  On a Sunday.  Double yesss!  If we can find one open.  Where, if we are very lucky, we can spend a huge amount of money on a new potato – a fancy one – a dauphinoise perhaps.  Fun times.

Well, at least we can then turn the lights on, which as I sit typing this in the dark, is something I’d really like to be able to do.  We do have a torch but frankly, I am not 8 and reading by torchlight seems a bit childish.

Battery issues aside, day 2 has been a perfect day.  We woke up and after a quick coffee, immediately set out on the water walk-way wizardry walk.  It was a beautiful morning: pale blue sky, whispy white cloud, warm, and quiet.  Tess paddled in the sea and Tom and I talked about our plans for the day.  It being Sunday, we were unlikely to find a battery place without travelling into a city, which we wanted to avoid.  That meant returning to the grid and finding a campsite and leaving the chore of finding a new potato to Monday.

We don’t like campsites generally as a rule as we get up early, go to bed early and have a dog who dislikes other dogs and children.  We like peace and quiet, we like nature – none of which you tend to find on a campsite.  So, I tend to look at reviews really carefully.  We found a place in Conwy, not far from the castle which had a negative review complaining that the farmer must dislike children as he had told the reveiwer’s children off for being loud around other campers. This sounded perfect.

We arrived early, and to our delight, found a very quiet site with few other campers, no other dogs and a stream running behind the pitch, which Tessie jumped into in delight. 

It’s really hot today so we’ve spent the afternoon sitting outside the motorhome, listening to the stream chattering over rocks, drinking cider and reading.  Later on tonight when the heat has drained out of the day, we will go for a walk across the fields where the (what does one call a campsite owner, landlady? Host?) … promised a magnificent view.  I am hoping her definition of magnificent doesn’t leave me disappointed.  Then, we are going to sit outside and listen for owls.

Edit: her definition of magnificent exceeded mine. Look at this view! That’s Snowden in the distance…

…Probably…

Tess enjoys her freedom before a dip in the stream!

There is no internet here, our Mifi – even on electric hook-up – is not picking up any signal.  We are isolated from the rest of the world for the next 24 hours with only books and a chess set to entertain us.

It’s Brilliant.

Edit 2: I won at chess. Running score: Tom 0: Suzy 1.