Water Voles and Mental Health

Big adult

Small adult

The baby again. I wonder what their relationship is to each other?
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The aim of this blog was always to talk about water voles, not myself. But something has happened this week which will impact on all areas of my life, including my nature records. On Thursday my husband was involved in a very serious road accident and is currently on an HDU ward with severe multiple injuries. The doctors say he is "fixable", but it's going to be a very long haul and will involve months in hospital. The drive to see him is 50 minutes each way and I shall be visiting at least once a day, while trying to keep the household running as normally as possible for my two boys, and working as well. And I don't think even when my husband comes out that our lives will be quite the same as they were before.

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When an event like this occurs, the range of emotions is vast. I've gone from numbness to elation (when realised he wasn't dead!) to openly sobbing in the hospital corridor. I've been overwhelmed by the kindness of friends, relations and complete strangers. I can't eat and I can't sleep - for now I'm fired up on nervous energy. Last night, though, after my in-laws came back from visiting, I was able to get out into the field for an hour and I found it tremendously helpful and calming to sit silently in the grass and watch my voles.

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I've heard Bill Oddie talk about how important nature is for his mental health, and I feel sympathy with that. So though there may be fewer blog entries for the next months, that doesn't mean fewer voles or less vole activity, and I shall still try to have an hour here and there with my camera and my camp stool, out under the evening sky.