We should have been in the Highlands this week.
Arriving in Fort Augustus Friday from Ullapool, and departing for home tomorrow, Sunday. The weather up there this week, has been pretty dire, and today and tomorrow, the area around Fort Augustus will get a month's rain.
The rest of this week wasn't much good either, so at least we haven't watched stunning weather unfolding all week like we had in 2018.
In addition, we saw my Mother off on Thursday...……….Aged 93, and still living at home, she had taken a huge turn for the worse on Feb 14th, spending the whole night on the bedroom floor. Since 15th Feb we've had five 999 Ambulance call outs, and I've been interacting with large numbers of paramedics, nurses, carers and so on. It has been a real challenge, managing self isolation but at the same time doing what has to be done.
Up to 14th Feb, she had no assistance, but from then it was carers, plus a medication Nomad, wheeled trolley, commode, and fall alarm pendant. My mobile phone hasn't stopped ringing for three months, including a call a month ago from the alarm people telling me the power was off at her house. She was in hospital as it happened. I went over...….both neighbours were OK, but no power inside her house.
A neighbour had equipment to check the box, and there was nothing coming in from the road. The mains have recently been re-laid in the road...……..
I rang the emergency number for electric...105, and within 3 hours met an engineer on site. He found the fault under the front garden and offered to fix it overnight. We agreed they would do it the next morning, and at 0900 I met three engineers on site. After digging a huge hole, the power was restored by lunchtime.
In the meantime, mother had uncontrollable diabetes - Sugar level 37 when she first fell, and a water infection which she never got rid of. Plus a lot of other ailments. So over the last three weeks she slipped away. We couldn't visit. It was too risky. Without exception, the medics/carers we have met have all been quite remarkable people, and we are humbled by their caring and compassionate ways. Her funeral was under Covid rules, so close family only (four of us), and distancing in the chapel. The neighbours all came out to see her off. Three mounted Police saluted her as she was taken to the Crematorium.
All in all it's been one hell of a three months.
