Just after my weekend away, Arina informed me that she was going to Italy with a group of friends to play golf. It was quite lonely on the farm when she was away, but the wild deer gave me a lot of pleasure. There was one youngster who came up to my little cottage a lot, so I started putting out all my fruit and veggie peels for him. He became quite tame, but always stayed just far away from me so as not to be touched. I think he was very lonely, maybe he had been driven from his herd after trying to steal one of the leader's wives, as he was a young male! It was amazing to watch the little stumps on his head grow into a pair of impressive antlers.
One morning before sun up, I walked through the woods to check on the furthest fence that was close to a busy road, as Gerda was picking me up early for a day out, and I was lost in pleasant thoughts about the day when suddenly from almost under my feet there was one big commotion as a lot of biggish beasties started screeching, then took to their heels, warning all the inhabitants in the wood that an invader was out and about. I was bally frightened out of my wits, and when the life came back into my lame body, I legged it back at full speed to my cottage. I would not take a bet on who sceamed the loudest, and sitting there still shivering from fright, a cuppa in my hand, I tried to calm down, and realised that the beasties must have been a family of wild hogs that was rudely disturbed from their morning slumbers! I took a vow never to go into the woods at such an ungodly hour again.
As the trees and shrubs were very dense, it never really lightened up inside the wood, and the road down to the main gate that was flanked with huge trees overhanging and meeting in the middle, was scary, as it was so dark, and I usually pedalled a highly complaining bicycle with vigour when passing through it.I was walking home from the gate one day shortly after this episode, as my bicycle had a puncture, and I was waiting for Herman, Gerda's husband to come and fix it, when Arina's car stopped next to me, and she asked if I wanted a lift.
Next to  her was a youngish man whom she introduced as her son. Both of them sat very quiet and bolt upright, and loud, heavy music was filling the car, and after a lame effort to make conversation, and no response. I also sat with a closed mouth. It was only when we got out of the car at home, and I saw Arina clutching a very ornate urn to her bosom, that I realised that she had gotten her dead husband's ashes that day! This ashes was also put in the entrance hall, surrounded by loads and loads of white lillies, and she had the Bachs and Beethovens on again at full capacity! Gave me the bally shivers, and I was sure there was something menacing emanating from that urn. Later, when I heard the story of how she came to marry this old man, a lot of things made sense, even the fact that I was sure he was casting an evil spell! But she was kind and nice to me, and I had no interest in all the sagas, I just wanted to try and work out my own empty nest problem,. and enjoy life in the meantime!