Adventures and New Plans - catching up with Events

Hi ... It's been a while, as I've been busy, and was also quite unwell (with a cold) for part of January. I've got much to tell. I've finished nearly all my teaching work for this year, and am looking forward to a brilliant safari trip to India in March. This time I am going with Saga, which is for older people in UK, so anyone on the trip has to be over 40. Members are 50-plus, but can bring friends or family in their 40s. As the trip is quite strenuous, no-one on it will be very weak: we will be "fit" oldies. I as usual am not going with my family: Tom cannot leave the country legally for more than a week; D. does not wish to travel, and someone should stay here and care for our cat and house. (If D. came, we would have to get a cat sitter - probably our neighbour.)

I will be going to Delhi first (BA flight) - then after a day's tourism, will fly down to the Kanha National Park, where i w ent in 2002 - there I expect see wildlife, including tigers. I filmed them before in '02: the mahouts take you on elephant back to the part of the jungle where a tiger is either hiding or visible - they usually rest during the day. I am staying in a different lodge, but the set-up will be similar: bungalows, and a central ranchhouse for eating. We will also see birds, gaur (huge wild cattle), jackals, many birds, langur monkeys, deer (several types) and more. The speciality there is the rare barasingha, a medium sized 12-horned swamp deer.It iwll be hotter than when I last went - day temp. is about 31 C, but it is much colder at 6 am, when we set out, so warm gear is needed too. There is a good exhibition centre there - they show films about the wildlife. Food is wonderful...

We take an overnight train then to Corbett National Park in the foothills of the Himalaya (in Uttar Pradesh I think, a district called Kumaon, where there were once maneaters (tiger & leopard)hunted and killed by the legendary Jim Corbett - the park is named after him: he became a great naturalist and photographer). There are also wild elephants and gharial crocodiles, which are now rare. The tigers there are harder to see, so we cannot be sure of spotting one. Also masses of birdlife... There is good fishing for those who are into that. This place is one I always hoped to visit and to see, in the distance the high Himalayas: nearest is Nanda Devi range. For me this travel is a spritual experience - I went to India first in memory of my late daughter [Dr.] Alice, who died (an RTA in Scotland where she worked) in 2000, aged 27 - a talented Oxford educated young geologist who loved adventure, nature and travel.

As to my troubled family life - my son Tom is getting by, having not been drunk again since November, when he ended up in trouble with the law again. In December the local court renewed his community order - he knows that he must stay out of trouble, or he could be back "inside" (jail), for a much longer time than before (a few months then). They would then apply the 3-strikes and you're out policy. He is keeping his medical and advice appointments, and managing to keep fairly upbeat most of the time. He has off days though. He may be doing another rehab in April, but there was not funding for it after Christmas; the opportunity may be over by April. He may be doing well enough anyway. Then we will take steps to get him settled into his own accommodation,as there is sometimes pressure having him living here (between him and D; D. finds his space invaded by T. sometimes, whic leads to conflict between them).

I am doing art therapy again now. I have just been asked to run a similar art group for my church (the MJA or Jesus Fellowship), which is opening a big social drop-in Jesus Centre in London, in June or July. They already have 2 such centres in other parts of England: in the Midlands. That will be a challenge, but I will rise to it! I am collecting ideas now, and have found some books on art therapy. I find doing this a good release for my own feelings. I also had counselling for 3 months: ended in January. I hope to set up a branch of Al-Anon at the Centre.

Well that's all - as usual I have to stop and wash my hair, then cook us all a meal.
All the best - cheers... We need more peace in this world! Love, Tigey