Light and shade

I should have been in a quarry near Ipswich today, but we received a phone call giving us the sad news that Pete's Mum, Molly, had died in the early hour of the morning , so plans were quickly changed. 

She'd had a fall on Saturday which resulted in a fractured wrist. Because of her age and frailty, it was decided to admit her to the Johnson Hospital in Spalding for a couple of days, before she returned home. Sadly, while she was there she developed breathing difficulties and was transferred back to the Pilgrim Hospital in Boston where she died in A & E. 

We hadn't seen her since March, though she spoke to Pete regularly on the phone and seemed to be in reasonably good spirits despite the constraints of lockdown. Her partner said that she'd been eating well and was looking forward to seeing everyone when restrictions were lifted - sadly that wasn't to be.

She's undergone many health scares in the last five years or so, and had definitely declined significantly in the last year, but it was still a shock to get the news. We went over to see her partner in the afternoon - he's already missing her even though the burden of care over the last four years has taken a toll on his health. Fortunately he's a keen gardener and has family living close by to support him.  

This rather stormy sky over the River Welland seemed quite suitable for the mood of the day. If you look carefully you can see Crowland Abbey on the right-hand  horizon.