Horseflies and muscles.

We don't normally see many of these near the house - only when we are out and about in the undergrowth and so we try to avoid doing any work in places like that from about May or so.  But this week the nasty little - or quite big actually - flies have been out in full force.  And in the garden-never seen them there.


We've both been bitten and although I don't itch much,  they do leave behind an enormous large red lump.

And just to make the week complete,  I had a really bad coughing fit on Friday - chesty still from the cold of 2 weeks ago - and as I coughed and coughed there was a dreadful pain in my upper rib cage and we think I've pulled an intercostal muscle.  These are the muscles that run between the ribs and when you pull one - boy does it hurt!   Coughing,  laughing,  sneezing,  turning over in the night,  even swimming hurts!   A Grade 1 mild strain - healing about 2 - 3 weeks,  anything worse is obviously going to be longer,  so I'm taking life very slowly and gently at the moment and getting John to help do things I take for granted.   Couldn't even shake the sheet this morning when making the bed or fold them when they came off the washing line - and as for stretching up to peg them out!  Well,  that was difficult.

Hopefully when this has healed nothing else will go wrong.  At least it's hot and sunny and I can relax  in a warm place which must do the muscle some good.  The only good thing is that my back is fine - still doing exercises every day but can't quite manage all of them due to this new strain!

Life can only get better - fingers crossed.