Walking on Sunshine **

Hello
Yes it is me
Briefly.

There is a lot of talk around the bloggersphere about 'blogger's rut' or 'blogger's block'.

I don't think I fall into either category although I don't seem to have the impetus to write anything.  Not that I am lacking stories, interesting or otherwise - quite the contrary - so many wonderful/silly/stupid/funny/normal things have happened that my life is extremely full.

I am not complaining, just explaining.

So, I am going to try and return to my original format (all those years ago when I started my blog in a previous guise), until my life is a little less pressured with a little more me-time.

My original idea was to invite you to pop by for a tea or a coffee when I posted a photo or two with a brief comment around 11am in the morning.  Short and sweet.


Please let me know your feelings - I love hearing from you xx





And to get the ball rolling..........

After a rather slow and driech winter, we have had a few long awaited delicious spring sunshiny days.

The sort of warmth that makes you turn and face the sun, shut your eyes and breathe in the still cool air.

I love that clear blue spring sky after weeks of grey heavy low dull clouds, and it seems, 

I am not the only one................

I will also add a link every now and then to my 11am blog in case you are interested.

11am October 2012
In the absence of the public- substitute with sheep

**thanks Katrina and the Waves for my post's title Walking on Sunshine

small things

I have to have to HAVE TO say thank you for your lovely comments - I love reading them and I am chuffed to bits that the mini (some say micro-mini) film went down so well, I shall certainly do that again on our next walk and make it just a little longer xxxx

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Often, whilst we are out walking, I stop to take a picture, look at the view, smell the flowers, stroke the wood or wall, feel textures or just to imbibe in the atmosphere. Himself and the boys walk on several paces and when one notices I have once again been left behind remind the others to wait. Himself has resigned himself to my dawdling - I prefer to call it creative awareness..... but the boys have grown up with me doing this aesthetic procrastination and accept it without question.

I love love love looking at life through a lens. I SEE so much MORE! I see depth that was only hinted at by eye. I find creatures and treasures often only after I have downloaded the images and sit down, after a days good walking, with a mug of tea and relive our day out, frame by frame.

Let me show you what I mean.

What do you see?

 Muddy wheel tracks?

or foraging bird tracks

Lichen covered post?

or home for a minute grub

 Seen it yet?

 

And now?

I couldn't until I checked my camera screen 

and then zoomed in for a closer look

A neatly crocheted chain gate fastener made out of baler twine - brilliant!

Mountain biker tagged road sign

Rusty chain and hinge supporting a free swinging gate, 

preventing livestock escaping over the riverbed

And a tiny yet so so very inviting tin sign.

Shall we follow?

What little things catch your eye?

What makes you dawdle?

I have so many photos of 'things'. Of nothing of importance, but oh so visually pleasing to me.

Thank you for indulging me my little 'habit' :)

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Valley of streams

Our walk on Saturday was filled with streams and becks. For most of the day we were accompanied by the sounds of water babbling over rocks and through culverts. I was tickled by the way the sun twinkled off the moving water which was crystal clear.

At lunch when we sat and quietly contemplated our own thoughts to the sounds of bird song and the burbling water, I tried to capture the sounds and sights using Youngest's camera - hopefully I have downloaded it correctly.

High up on the moor tops the skylarks were staking out their aerial territories with song as curlew chattered on the valley sides. (follow the links to hear their calls).

As we came back to the car in the fading light, the flood meadows, still wet from the winter rains, reflected mirror like the evening sky.

Wonderful wonderful walk x

Dare I say it?

*S.p.r.i.n.g* said in hushed tones  - a very gentle hint of spring was in the air yesterday.

Soft blue skies and wisp thin clouds drifting.

We needed an escape from our previous week - for all the same reasons as before - homework, housework, study and another high speed spin in the tumble drier that is life.

We walked, we talked. We sat by the river and ate in silence, giving us space to breathe and think. There was only the three of us and geriatric (formerly known as giddy) dog as Eldest had mooched off somewhere with the girlfriend. Youngest more than made up for the lack of his brother with his usual garrulous and rambling stories.

There was something simple yet exquisite about sitting in sunshine after weeks and weeks of driech wet weather.
We only met one serious hiker, a few dog walkers and a mound of shaggy-coated blue grey cattle in the winter-dry grass. As the afternoon sun lengthened an evening breeze struck up - with a hit of icy chill.

I had intended to knit on our stops, but our first was so comfortingly warm and delicious, perfect for just sitting in the sun and the other too chilly to stop for long, I ended up taking my wip purely for a walk!

Walking - for me -  is a form of meditation and watching the miles disappear beneath our feet helped me reflect on what I have around me, who I was with, where I was walking and it was refreshingly benign.

And you?
What made your soul sing?
What made you feel better?
Hope your weekend was as gently filled with spring sunshine as mine xxxx

Well fiddle de deee

As part of the birthday celebrations over the weekend we went to see The Mighty Doonans - and a mighty fun night was had!

There was just the right amount of folk music with jigs and reels and Irish dancing - talk about high stepping and high kicking. The youngest member of the family band was an enthusiastic dancer with rather long legs and a short flirty bright green dress.

And - much to the delight of our teenage contingency in our party - just the right amount of titillation and bawdy jokes involving a pair of very skimpy white knickers and a strategically attached long piece of almost invisible elastic. The giggles and guffaws coming from them was almost more funny and entertaining than the chap on the stage mopping his brow with said pants. The gist of the story boiled down to the punch line (as he waved the underwear around) 'Don't worry it is only a 'folk thong'........ groan.

Any hoo - at half time, the lights came on, the band stepped off the stage and into the audience, where they mingled with pints of bitter in hand and chatted with the locals. Himself said that he would go down to the bar and would we like a drink? Only I said yes to a soft drink (I was the designated driver) and the teenagers all decided they would have an ice cream instead. Off he went, the youngsters all happily slurping on locally made dairy ice cream and I 'people-watched' from our rather grand seat in the balcony. Below, in the sea of heads, I could see Himself bumbling through and disappearing into the side room which doubled up as a small bar. He seemed ages. Finally he returned. 

Clutching only one glass. 

He was full of stories of meeting and chatting to Mike Harding (the compare and a local celeb) and he was full of enthusiasm about the chat he'd had with the high stepping Irish dancer. She with the long legs and short green dress. Erhem - had he forgotten something? He thought for a moment. Shook his head with a confused look, Youngest had to remind him........Oops! 

He was about to leap up to remedy his distraction when the lights went down, the band returned and the long legs and short dress stepped forward and enchanted us all with her foot tapping dancing - I forgave him.

What a lovely evening! (bar the extreme parched thirst I had (not really))

I remember when....

I  was 16.
It doesn't feel that long ago.
I remember a slim waist, swimming in tepid pool water, flirting and having fun.
I can still feel the sun shining down on my skin and having out breaks of freckles...lots and lots of freckles.

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I remember too - 16 years ago.
That, strangely seems a life time away, further away than when I was 16.

I remember dragging a very hot, tight and stressed body (mine) around an ovenlike, dry and dusty park in a Johannesburg suburb. Willing my 2 week delayed baby to think about moving.

I remember the heat.  I remember seeing wild rabbits grazing the brown stubby grass under a rusty steam train - it had been painted a shiny black.

I remember the sweat on my back and my fringe plastered on my face. And I remember feeling very very uncomfortable.

Now - that stubbornly unwilling-to-be-born baby is now a wonderful 16 year old.

Happy Birthday Beautiful.

16 chocolate buns, each with chocolate stars and a candle 

- each one for each year of his life. 

Just before lighting the many candles 

(Himself kept singeing his wrist as he lit them)

Note to self (well - himself - start lighting the candles from the TOP)

16 candles and a set of '16' candles - an awful lot of teenage puff was needed!