Starry Night

This turned out to be quite an eventful weekend involving forests, hospitals, and midnight operations.
However, the first eventful happening was looking out of the window only 44 minutes into the 30 July, and seeing stars. The mid-Sweden white nights mean it is 10 or 11 weeks since it was dark enough to see those stars but tonight two stars were visible (probably Venus + one star).
We awoke the next morning to a gloriously sunny day and decided to celebrate the basic new roof being in place by having a day off from all work. We’d take a picnic and walk the geology trail from Smitingen beach. Our friend Rose thought it would be fun too so we all set off.
After we’d been walking upward for a while I started to feel sweaty, slightly sick and a familiar pain began to make itself felt. When we stopped to eat the picnic I just wasn’t interested in food. I’d felt this way before and that familiar pain indicated appendicitis, though in this case it had come on much more quickly than previously. We turned back, Harling Darling suggested she carry my much heavier rucksack and I agreed. The 3 km down to the car were a trial.
After that it was contact with the medical help line, HarlingDarling driving me to the A&E department in Sundsvall hospital, an evening wait, a cat scan, and the decision to take away my appendix. HD had kept me company up to this point (see her blip) and it was nearing midnight so she headed off home as I was wheeled off into the hospital proper. I was in the operating theatre at 01:00 Monday morning and in the ward from 03:00 Monday morning. Home Monday afternoon. What an interesting 24 hours!
At times like this I really appreciate the idea of a National Health Service, and the efforts of all the professional, reassuring and friendly nurses, technicians, doctors and porters I saw as I went through the process late on a Sunday evening.
I’m a little behind in my blipping as a result of these adventures but I’ll catch up over the next couple of days.