SUNDAY MORNING WALK

After a couple of days indoors because of the wet weather, it was good to go out early again this morning and we enjoyed our walk.  I was intending just to do one photograph, but as I am a woman, and entitled to change my mind, I have made a collage.

I took the selfie of us on our way back, because although it was dull when we first went out, by the time we were walking back home, the sun had come out and the sky was blue, so it looks as if it will be a better day weather-wise today, although the gardens did love the rain.

We went on our usual walk and I have been thinking of blipping these wheelbarrows for sometime - they are in the garden of the Richard Jefferies' Museum, where normally volunteers are working on the grounds around the house, but of course, nothing much is being done at the moment, hence the wheelbarrows being up against the fence.  Just below that is some beautiful apple blossom on trees just outside the wall, but it is roped off, so hopefully, these will grow without being trampled on.  

Just as we were were walking back to the garage to buy the Sunday morning papers, I had a phone call from my D-i-L who is a carer at a residential home a couple of miles along the road.  She apologised for tooting at us as we crossed the dual carriageway and said she hoped we didn’t think she was being rude!  We said we hadn’t even thought that - but had remarked to each other that there were a lot of cars, but then realised that it was just before 8.00 a.m. and lots of hospital and caring staff were just about to start their shifts, of which she was one!  It was good to have a chat with her at the start of her 12 hour shift - and we pray that she and all her colleagues - and everyone on the front line - will stay safe.

When we arrived at the garage, the assistants inside waved to us, and after we had bought the papers, I spotted the police car so went to tell the two policemen inside that we were only out doing our daily exercise.  They both smiled so we had a good chat with them, told them they were doing a great job - then went on our way.

The lock on the gate reminded us that we were still in lockdown, although with very little traffic around and hardly any people, we could just imagine it was a quiet Sunday morning - with nothing else going on - in fact, much like Sundays used to be many years ago.  We even heard a woodpecker and then saw it flying, which was a real treat. 

It was amazing to see the difference in the trees and hedges in just a couple of days - the horse chestnut flowers are standing tall and have opened up well, dandelions have finished flowering and their seeds are now ready to disperse and the buttercups are brightening the verges.  I guess the sun in the last two or three weeks combined with the rain for the last couple of days has brought them on - and of course, nature continues to delight us as the days draw out.

Our Church will be online at 11.00 a.m. followed by a Zoom coffee and chat afterwards, so we are looking forward to that and to catching up with our friends.  

A fellow Blipper made reference to Mary Oliver’s new book, “Devotions” and I found this quote, which seems appropriate for today: 

“Maybe our world will grow kinder eventually. 
     Maybe the desire to make something beautiful 
          is the piece of God that is inside each of us.” 
Mary Oliver - Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver