Walking is my therapy and Knitting is my release!

I worked yesterday – a silly busy Saturday morning, an intense crescendo of 3 hours which started and stoped equally suddenly. My three had arrived just as we were shutting down and I joined them for lunch and a walk. It was glorious to leave the confines of a building and swap it for lunch on a rocky outcrop beneath a hawthorn tree with a view that faded into a distant hazy horizon.

I managed to persuade Youngest to model my ‘Sea to Sky’ hat which I’d finished during my lunch break on Friday. I love it but on me it looks wrong, so I have gifted it to a friend who’d previously eyed it up and I will make it again with a heavier ply and larger needles. However, it was a dream to knit, and I loved watching first the rolling waves appear then the birds seeming to drop off my needles. I somehow lost the rhythm whilst casting off – not sure what happened however that is no fault of the pattern probably more to do with me being distracted by the view and the sheep bleating whilst I was knitting like a demon trying to complete the hat before having to go back to work.

Our walk was, like my post title, like having therapy. These last couple of weeks have been particularly stressful to say the least and to feel the miles disappear under my feet made me feel like I was leaving all that behind. 

Whilst out on the moors,  Eldest, who is always several paces ahead of us, whirled around and said ‘what was that?’ we all stopped and listed and heard a strange whurring sound. Vrrrrrrrrrrrr Vrrrrrrrrr. 

All we could see, apart from a huge landscape and lots of sky, were a couple of birds flying overhead. We stood and listened. Again - Vrrrrrrrrrr Vrrrrrrrr. It had to be the birds. We discussed the sounds as we carried on walking, still hearing the whurring sounds in the distance as we continued. 

Once home first Himself then I trawled the internet trying to trace the strange reedy noise. And then we found it – just listen HERE. Amazing. Known as Snipe drumming, in all the years we have been walking in this area, we have never been privileged enough to hear the courtship sounds of the Snipe. 

By the time we’d returned to the car, I was finished. My knee is still a ‘bone of contention’ with me, its fine until I ask it to do something then it does nothing but whinge! Still, I was a brilliant walk and if I ignore my knee’s persistent grumbling and complaining it was wonderful being out under that huge sky.

Right. Best stop waffling, my pile of work is looking at me very loudly and I am running out of both time and motivation. Best get on – speak soon, hope you had a lovely weekend and for those who will be getting the bank holiday, I hope the sun shines for you, I am – yes you guessed it – back at work tomorrow!

With love

hawthorn xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx