I have waited until today to do a blog as I wanted to be able to give an update on how things are. I had a little walk to the garage on Tuesday and then yesterday I walked to the vets whilst stopping off at Eileens for a surprise cuppa on the way. I've helped a little with my aviary and still have Karron coming everyday to look after me and my menagerie. My friend Pauline who has been walking the dogs with her husband Ray, broke her foot on Tuesday and that has been an awful blow for her. I'm saddened, as it will keep her off her feet for a while. She wasn't walking the dogs at the time or I would have felt really guilty. I was hoping to recover quickly so I could now return the favour and help her, but a visit to the doctor this morning has quashed any thoughts there. I thought I would have a check up before I tried to step up my rehabilitation, but I have a temperature and have been given more antibiotics. He advised me that I have to be very careful and not try to do anything until I have had an xray and seen the specialist on the 30th September. I thought I was weary due to lack of exercise. Sometimes the less we do, the more tired we are and I thought that was the case with me and if I just motivated myself and did a little extra each day, then I would soon improve. I have been reading for the last 2 weeks which I've found more relaxing than anything, but I will have to make more of my time than that in the next month. Karron continues to come each day and look after my menagerie and me. Today she sat in the car whilst I drove to the doctors in Port Erin in case I couldn't manage it and she could take over. I didn't know if my stength would hold out with the steering etc, but its a lot easier than walking. I'm looking physically well to be honest and I'm a lot better than I was when I came out of hospital. I suppose I just have to be sensible.

I was reading some of Toms blogs in the week and its amazing how inspired I felt reading my own husbands writing at this time. There has been a sort of lethargy in me that has made me shrug at the thoughts that the pneumonia could have seen me off. A "who cares" attitude, which is still because I miss Tom so much and death holds no fear for me after talking to Tom and holding him as he left this world. Reading his words in which he says each day he is alive is to be cherished, made me feel ashamed. We both had the same love of nature and life and mine is just dulled at the moment because I'm not sharing it with Tom anymore, but the same beauty is still here, the same life and so many people around me show me so much love. Tom would be so proud to see how friends have supported and looked after his wife.

This time last year a lady knocked at our front door just as we'd got in from a very wet walk with the dogs. She was absolutely dripping and she wanted to know was this Tom Glassey's house. Anyway Dorothy and her husband Charlie became good friends although we only saw them a few times. They are over again as Charlie commentates at the TT and MGP. Dorothy emails and tries to give me sound advice as do many of my other friends around the world. Last night I was emailing her at 4 in the morning and woke to more pearls of wisdom. Cheryl in America is another lady who manages to help me sort out my innermost thoughts and make sense of them or put them into some prospective. I've just resumed this blog after a few hours as Dorothy actually knocked on the door as I was writing it. How coincidental is that! I was gagging for some mint imperials last night and the garage near here had none. Dorothy turned up with enough mints to keep me going for quite some time. she had left Charlie at the practices and kept me company for a few hours. The world has now been put to rights and I have had a laugh.

Someone left a half bag of mushrooms on my door handle this afternoon. I've tried to find out who the kind person is but have failed so far. Tom and I used to love to go mushrooming. When we lived in Ramsey we used to go to Jurby Airfields and they would be covered in big field mushrooms. There were so many that Tom could also pick them if he wanted. We used to pick carrier bags of them, weigh them and distribute them at work. We would always try to beat the previous years record if we could. Here in Castletown we found a field quite close and we would always try to be the first ones out picking. It would amuse us at how secretive people would be over where the mushroom were and one year we seemed always to get to a field just before one particular person who was also determined to get some good pickings. What was amusing was the way we were eyed by the other picker as if we were competition and instead of a friendly "good morning" we would be completely ignored but with an odd sneaky look in our direction to see how we were doing.

My new hens haven't arrived yet but they will soon. I will post more pictures of the moorhen who has dropped his attitude to me. I think I was being cold shouldered for being away from home. Orry has also settled down and has stopped being bitey. Skipper and Suzie still haven't had me to take them out and although I have to take it easy and don't want to be pulled by Skipper I think I will find a nice quiet place where I can let them both have a wander without needing to be on the lead and where I don't need to walk far.

Anyway I will bring this to an end.

This is Barbara on the banks of the Silverburn doing very little.