Fear, animals & LPG.

Fear. 

It rules my life, and most others also, according to my previous experience's with clients in the therapy room,  Fear not of ultimate annihilation but fear manifesting as anxiety and worry around unwanted or unwelcome change in daily life. Pi from the book 'Life of Pi' explains it well as he reminds us as humans we are merely territorial animals who have compressed our territory, our comfort zone if you like, into four walls. We call it home, work or, in my case, a motorhome. I, like any animal whose territory becomes threatened or is subject to unwelcome or unfamiliar change, becomes anxious and stressed. So it is with my motorhoming life on several levels.

Anxiety is heightened by basic things such as a new country, unfamiliar language, different shops etc etc. I choose to do this though, which is where we differ from the animal kingdom. 'Animals in the wild lead lives of compulsion and necessity in an environment where the supply of fear is high.' (Life of Pi) This leaves little chance for anything other than instinctive choice around survival. We humans have evolved a modified form of choice knowing we have a thing backing us up called intelligence which for the most part allows us to successfully survive a much higher percentage of choices made.

However; When I see gas is getting low in my re-fillable butane cylinders and realisation dawns that the one thing I forgot back in the UK was the correct filling adaptor for Spanish LPG pumps. Well that is when anxiety rises to panic proportions and I am fiercely reminded of just how close to the animal within I really am.

As realisation dawns fear arrives complete with clammy sweat breaking out on my forehead. Only after that original Amygdala driven fear response has passed does intelligence kick in and allow a reasonable solution to be planned.

Mrs sat nav, being a major player in this reasonable solution, guided me to within a stones throw of one of the few garages in Spain, and the only one in Valencia, to supply LPG. Now forecourt service is quite common here in Spain and it was a wonderful site indeed to see the uniformed attendant walking across to Sadie with his box of various adaptors.

Phew! Problem solved! Anxiety level reversed and replaced with secure jubilation.

Are not animals just so fortunate in that they do not require Low Pressure Gas adaptors!!

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I used the TV tonight and note, on this the 17th of January there is heavy snow due across the UK tomorrow.

The pink blossom photo is today, the very same Jan 17, in the hills above 'Gatova' where Tanya and I enjoyed a pleasant walk in a cool wind but warm sunshine once sheltered from the breeze.

A stunning drive and a further steep uphill walk to 'Gurugu', in this the 'Parque natural de la Sierra de Espadan'  were then enjoyed as we meandered slowly along the very narrow continual hairpin bend CV200 road between 'Segorbe' and 'Ain'.

A truly stunning mountain pass drive but not one for the faint hearted or anyone in a hurry. I expect most would also say not for motorhomes either. Suffice it to say I have not seen another motorhome anywhere in these hills and I do get some amused and quizzical looks from the swarthy and well wrapped up locals. The main AP7 route South is about 6 miles away toward the coast. All the motorhomes will be speeding down there. They just don't know what they're missing!