from your soon-to-be blindfolded Secretary 28-10-2015

Yesterday – Tuesday's - weather forecast was for a bright sunny day, whereas today's was for a lot of rain which has turned out to be correct. As it is the end of October, I took advantage of yesterday's forecast to go on what will probably be the last outdoor blindsimming this winter. It turned out to be a good decision and I spent the morning and a lot of the afternoon going right round my new route as described last (and previous) weeks. I promised not to bore you further with descriptions of this but just to say that, being on my own – no brother Chris to help any more, I had help offered to me on five separate occasions! Three times by asking at bus stops and twice whilst sitting quietly having a cigarette. All by ladies!

This reminds me that I have been asked several times questions about my blindsimming over the web (see my e-mail address if you would like to do the same. They mainly fall into three repeating questions. One pertinent to what I have just described. I will try to answer these for all to read over the coming weeks.

Chris is peering over my shoulder, scarf in hand so I have to finish off for now,

Jane.

Last of my summer blindsimming outings. 21/10/2015

You may be relieved to read the last of my 'summer' blindsimming outings– great fun for me but I won't be surprised if you are all bored with it! I'll think up something different in future, suggestions, questions etc would be most helpful.

Last Thursday was indeed a nice day at last, lots of rainy days over previous week or so, but fine weather promised.

I left home soon after Husband had gone off to London as usual. Caught train to starting point again as usual. Then all as I described a couple of blogs ago for my unaccompanied blindsimming outing, (August 2015). Off the bus and walked, blind all the time since before I got on the bus, to the reservoir and after picnic lunch, back to the bus stop and onwards.

As before then, Chris met me (still blind) off the bus at the bus terminus. He had done some local research and was very pleased with the results, so that next time I can continue blindsimming in my totally blacked-out glasses when I arrive there - by myself.

From the bus terminus in the centre of the town, a town circular bus runs from there to the pier adjacent to the beach, from there onwards to the railway station and then back to the bus terminus. All I have to do, having got off the bus from my bird-watching trip, is to walk along the pavement to the very next bus shelter and make sure, by asking (at which I'm quite good these days) that I get on the correct bus, take the short ride to the stop by the pier. The pier had a disastrous fire last year destroying all the buildings on the pier. These are now being rebuilt and meantime one can walk along the pier quite safely – even for blind people!

Later on, I can catch the bus on the same route at the same stop, and go on to the railway station. Then, worse luck! I have to become sighted at make my way home by train.

We did all this as a trial run. In future, as always, if I get into difficulties, I can always just remove my blinding glasses. Unlikely to happen, I can assure you. I'm going to try it out as soon as the opportunity arises.

Jane

Wednesday 7th October 2015

Back from holiday.

We, husband and I, have been away for best part of a month so no blindfolding for me!

No blindfolded bird-watching outings,

No blindfolded secretarial sessions,

No blindfolded domestic Friday mornings,

No blindfolded piano lessons with Lucy.

I have on the other hand got in a lot of reading – Stella Rimmington, Donna Leon, John Grisham all whom I can recommend for a good read, and others, but none of those featured any blindfolded incidents. I shall have to write my own novels perhaps?

No visiting museums or churches with statues of Ecclosia and Synagogo as featured in our holiday a little while ago, see my blog 5^th November 2014.

Worse still, on return last week-end, I don't seem to have had any calls from Tony, my bird watching 'guide' who went off to Australia for 6 months in the spring.

On the other hand, nice weather is forecast for tomorrow, so I will have a day out down to the usual blind-simming haunt. Husband being away back at work and Chris has just said he can easily arrange to meet me during the afternoon and make sure that I get home in time to get husband's dinner ready for him when he returns from his long day in London. I'll report next time.

Jane.