A car hasn't moved in the village for two days. If this happened in a town then it would barely get noticed, but here in West Cornwall such things provide fodder for endless tales of intrigue. So this morning as I entered the post office, to buy a newspaper, I was unaware that I was one of the central characters in one of these mysteries.
"Is that car anything to do with you?" I was asked by the assistant behind the counter.
"No"I replied, looking at a black estate car that seemed to be cramped with what looked like camping gear.
"Only it hasn't moved, not an inch, for two days. We thought it must be a friend of yours."
This of course was an easy assumption to make as we live next-door-but-two to the Post Office and have a whole range of vehicles, and their occupants, visit our cottage on a regular basis.
"That settles it then. I'm getting onto the local lads to trace the number, as it could be someone who went on a walk and has got into trouble." I at this stage imagine someone in their walking boots, wrapped in their pac-a-mac nibbling on their last sandwich crust lying on the coast path. I then imagine our local Police Officer (who last time he paid a visit stopped for a full hour, by our fire, and used his time to suggest a whole range of security measures whilst keeping a keen eye on the telly) becoming a hero in next weeks' paper for heading up a successful cliff rescue.
Obviously awful things do happen down here, people drown or get their limbs caught in farm machinery and the air ambulance is called into action. However, today's front page news, in our local weekly paper, consists of a dog "Cherry" having been bit by another dog and there is a rather pitiful picture of her with one of those lampshade-style-collars on her head. The headline reads, "Pet dog needs emergency surgery after attack".
For those who read my previous blog and may be concerned, as I was, by the fact one of my elderly neighbours is walking around with a watch telling the wrong time. They will be pleased to know that I met him again and adjusted his time-piece. Hopefully he won't miss "Strickly" or a bus in the near future.
After spending yesterday afternoon sitting with friends and pot of tea in the garden, basking in the last of the late summer sunshine, we had our first frost overnight (well as near to a frost as we ever get down here). It means I will have to wrap up my banana tree before it's too late, but the good news is that now the ground has had a freeze we can start harvesting the parsnips. I am now off in search of my spicy parsnip and apple soup recipe.
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