Back on Track

We have had a couple of adventures in the last week.

Being fully recovered from my scorpion sting I set out with Ruby to see if I could find my way round the back of the hill to the north so that I could walk back home along “horse valley”. We set off down the road from the house – with Snitch in tow, only to get to the corner and discover that Marmela was also with us. I know she would not come the distance with us and I feel anxious about abandoning her somewhere unknown so I picked her up and carried her back home, and then quickly ran back down the hill, this time making a clean getaway. Remember the last time I actively stopped her from coming with me on a walk I got stung by a scorpion.

Well we got across the river and were just heading up to the start of the climb to the pass behind Wolf Peak when I noticed Ruby scoping something in the bushes. I stopped to have a look at what she was looking at and then heard a hissing sound, and realised I had walked within 2 feet of a big red Moorish Viper. These are fairly rare and even more rarely seen – famous in the snake world because of the huge range of colours that they come in. I did not know for certain that that was what it was but was pretty sure and when I got home I looked it up and confirmed it with my herpetologist contact (he was really excited!). It is venomous and I was pretty anxious about Ruby (and Snitch) so I took a few photos and then left it alone.



Anyway we continued our walk, up over the pass between Wolf Peak and K9 and then round the back of the long low Horse Hill. I was feeling pretty pleased with myself as I followed a little track over the shoulder at the northern end and could see the track that we had walked along the week before..... and they say pride comes before a fall. The track petered out, the dogs disappeared off after birds or squirrels and I slipped on some loose stones and as I fell, saw this inconveniently placed, toblerone shaped rock getting closer to my head. All my previous thoughts of “what would happen if I fell and hit my head” suddenly came rushing back to me as I fell and hit my head. First thought was (ok after ouch!) –“well at least I didn’t lose consciousness”. I put my hand up and felt a golf ball sized lump appearing on my temple, but no blood and no blurry vision. So I sat for a minute feeling relieved and then got back to my feet and warily shuffled down the hill to the safety of the valley track. Made it home without any major mishaps... but the moral of the story is: if Marmela wants to come for a walk – then let her (Mohamed says I have to do it 3 times to prove it – but I don’t feel like taking the risk). Oh and I really do need to get some better walking shoes.

Sunday we went in to Inzegane and I bought some suitable footwear – well they will do till I can locate my walking boots somewhere in the UK (if they are in your roofspace or garage please let me know!).

I have done a couple of short walks to break them in and no blisters so far. We saw this portal to an alternate dimension while out... but it disappeared as I walked towards it so I didn’t go through.



On Sunday morning, I went back up the Glen (decided to call this Stollie’s Glen) and round Wolf Peak with the intention of photographing the place where I saw the viper for Gabri (Spanish herpetologist) but just as we came up to the spot I met a little boy with a ground squirrel on a string. He had trapped it and was carrying it about – I think for bait to trap more. I asked him if he would let it go but he said he gets money for them. The squirrel actually seemed quite calm (well as calm as jumpy little critters ever seem) and I guess that money is important for families here. I also could not help but admire the boy’s skill in setting the traps and catching them. Anyway completely forgot about taking photographs.

Today Marmela tagged along again. My aim had been to go back and take a photo of where (on the hillside not on the body!) I got stung by the scorpion and I decided to persevere as it was not so far from home if Marmela decided she didn’t want to come all the way. We were actually having a nice little walk, last rays of warmth from the sun and lots and lots of wild narcissus. Ruby and Snitch were ranging up ahead and Marmela was trotting along behind me.

Then all of a sudden there was tremendous rumpus and a small herd of wild pig appeared from the bushes above us, crossed the path about 10 feet from where I was standing and shot off down the hill with Snitch and Ruby in pursuit. Luckily I had just taken a picture of Marmela so had my camera in my hands and managed to get a few shots of them careering down the hillside.



Of course all that was too much excitement for Marmela who turned tail and ran back down the path. We – me and eventually the dogs – followed her back and then turned down the track which we call Marmela’s variation (as it is the walk we usually do when she has tagged along)... and all eventually all got home safely – even though we met a herd of goats, their goatherd and a puppy.

I have started my map making project – screenshots from google earth printed out and glued together and now I am going to trace out the main geography and add the names.... as you may have noticed I have started naming things. It makes it easier to describe where I have been – or for safety where I am going (though to be honest I am not that confident in Mohamed’s map reading ability) just in case I do hit my head again and this time lose consciousness..... Anyway when it is done I will try and get it scanned and post it here for your reference (not that I think you don’t all have a life or anything! But just in case you are interested).

I have finished reading my birthday reading, RL Stevenson’s Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes (which I haven’t read before but really enjoyed) and the Amateur Emigrant which led me on to the Silverado Squatters and then to On the Road. I haven’t read On the Road for years and years – possibly not since I first read it when I was 17... and I have to say I really enjoyed it (putting aside the terrible male chauvinism). There was a part at the start that really struck me as so right (and makes me wonder how much I was influenced by this book) “... the only people for me are ... the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing...”. I have to say that I have no interest in the type of people who just yawn and say common place things - not that we don’t all yawn at times or say common place things at times.... but with some people (I can think of some...not any of you dear readers of course) that is all they do.

Eh me is that the time? (yawns) I really must go and get the cat’s dinner sorted.
bye

For Stollie

I just heard some really sad news from friends back home, their dog Stollie has just died. Stollie was a great little dog, part Jack Russell, part collie and all character.

I have very happy memories of Stollie. When she was younger she used to jump into my arms when I visited and with one paw on each shoulder tell me just how glad she was to see me - even if she had just seen me 10 minutes earlier.

Stollie owned the ground she walked on, was equally happy at home or out and about. A couple of times she came to stay with me and would walk my fields with perfect confidence but also behaved exquisitely with my cats... the perfect house guest.




I guess the local postie will feel safer now, but I think the world was a better place with her in it and, for a little dog she leaves a big gap.

A Sting in the Tail

Yesterday I was in Agadir for a while and got home a little late – so my walk with Ruby was a bit late. We headed off up to the top of the hill above Ouikiran, having out-manoeuvred Marmela, and I was looking forward to watching a spectacular sunset. Just before the topmost point there is a part where I have to climb up and squeeze between two large rocks. I was just doing this when I felt a sharp sting in my derriere. As soon as I was back on solid ground I had a look to see what had got me... no sign of anything. Meanwhile the pain was increasing incrementally and I was starting to feel some strange sensations in my leg.

So trying to keep calm, searching through my memories of first aid training etc I went straight back home. Had a look in the mirror and couldn’t really see anything apart from a bit of redness. I put some anti-histamine cream on... but the pain was getting worse and by this time I was also feeling pins and needles and a growing numbness in my teeth, lips and tongue. I went online and checked out the symptoms for Scorpion sting... and there they were – described exactly as I was feeling them and advising immediate medical attention. Mohamed was not convinced – I think he thought if I had been stung by a scorpion I should still be lying writhing on the hillside. Anyway I managed (I will leave you to imagine how) to convince him that he should drive me to Agadir and off we went.

When we got to the local hospital accident and emergency unit they had a look at it, asked some questions and then prescribed me some painkillers. Apparently they normally monitor for up to 6 hours to make sure there are no problems with breathing, but scorpion stings are rarely dangerous for adults (children and old people have to watch out!). Anyway I got sent home to monitor my symptoms myself.

It was all a bit weird, I have never had neurotoxins in my system before: as well as extreme pain (think wasp sting x 1500) at the site of the sting, numbness and pins and needles in teeth, lips and tongue and then hands and feet there were cold sweats followed by hot sweats, feelings of nausea, my feet feeling like lumps of lead and a strange inability to keep my knees straight when standing.

So it is still sore where I got stung, but apart from a lingering tingling at the tip of my tongue and my lips and general spaceyness from painkillers and lack of sleep, there doesn’t seem to be any other side affects... and I am still here to tell the tale.

And it is all my fault for not taking Marmela with me – she has tagged along for the last 3 days and really I could have let her come last night since we were not going to be out for a long walk. If I had let her come along we would have gone for a different walk and I wouldn’t have met the scorpion (or it wouldn’t have met me since I didn’t actually see it) and I wouldn’t have had the night I had. But I suppose it had to happen some time and at least now I know what to expect!

After Goya

sorry for the gap

I really hadn't realised how much time had passed since I last blogged. I just haven't been writing very much. We passed the Eid at Ait Iazza as usual and as usual I now have a freezer full of bits of lamb.

When I came back I came down with a bit of a cold and spent 1 day in bed feeling miserable and quite a few days feeling only half on. It has taken me a while to get back to full walking fitness - but I am starting to feel more energised.

Then it rained.... lots and lots of rain over 3 or 4 days - and yes we had leaks in the house. We have arranged for someone to come round this weekend and put an extra layer of cement on the floors upstairs as there is more rain forecast next weekend. Mohamed has started negotiations again about getting permission for the roof. fingers crossed.

Even when it wasn't actually bucketing down with rain the river was so full that Ruby and I were stuck on this side of the hill for walks. I went out and bought some waterproof trousers and a jacket - bright yellow - though no luck so far getting suitable footwear. I will keep looking though.... and now we are back to blue skies and the river has subsided so I am thinking of heading over the river to try and find a new route. Just before the cold and the rain I set off past the little wooded glen along the path that seems to lead to the next village to the North West. This was the valley that I could imagine riding a horse along - and I wasn't disappointed. It was a lovely track and a nice walk. I had hoped to find my way round the hill to make it a circular route but had to come back the way I went. I did do a little bit of exploring and round the side of Wolf Hill I found where there might be a track that goes the way I want. I had both dogs (Itchy and Ruby) with me and they had a great time running after birds etc - until we got close to Wolf Hill, when they suddenly became much quieter, sticking close to my side and constantly sniffing the air.

We had only just made it home, and it was just getting dark, when I heard the yowling of "wolves" in the hills we had just left behind.

I had emailed wolf.org (an american organisation) to ask if they thought it possible that there were wolves in the Atlas Mountains. They said it was not impossible that I had seen a wolf - but improbable. The nearest known wolves are in Egypt though they do travel long distances..... They then went on to say that maybe it had been a pet wolf or a wolf-like pet dog... well that just shows how little they know about Morocco. Ruby is the only pet dog in these mountains - all the rest have to work for their living... and the local dogs are not very wolvish - all fairly similar to Ruby.... and I would think it quite improbable that you would see a wolf in America. So until I see one again the position is still in doubt - though I am giving the locals the benefit of the doubt.

I just heard from the Spanish herpetologist who advised me about the snakes - he is setting up a Moroccan herpetofauna website and wants to use my photos!

and that is all the news from me. Will try and get more photos posted