Up a Clump and back – no less – and just caught the sun rising over the Ridgeway in the distance. More magical misty whispy drifts floated across the fields below us – a gossamer shroud pretending to be hazy waters of hidden promise.
I passed a person with a dog – just the two of them. H was in no hurry. She dawdled sniffily and sat wherever I did. I think the temperature was around 16C .
What a brilliant start to an exhausting day!
I returned home to get T up as I had arranged to take Lena and Timur to the seaside. Mudeford was our destination. This involved nearly 2 hours in the car, now that we have moved oop north.
The journeys – both there and back were hassle free , no traffic problems which really surprised me.
Lena and Timur were introduced to places of contrasting beauty in our countryside – the New Forest and its open common land and its compelling and mighty woodlands. And its ponies.
And then there was the beauty that was Mudeford. The sea was blue, the sky was blue, the Needles beckoned, and the temperatures were comfortably lower than the 33C inland. The closest car parks were full. Nuisance! Because we had to walk back from where we were parked to the cafe/ ice cream bar etc.
We found ourselves a nice spot at the water’s edge. The sea was guarded by sharp, toe-shredding, flinty stones. (not nice rounded pebbles) And what started off as the water’s edge soon was not. Well about three hours later the sea had receded somewhat.
But the water was wonderful for swimming. Not remotely painful ( apart from flints) to get into it and it kept inviting me to re-enter. Really superb and lots of people obviously thought the same, because lots were in the water.
We paused for Lena to do some shopping in Newbury on the way home, familiar territory, for me, and all that.
On the way, I took her on a quick tour of Burghclere to allow her to see the village school and church where our girls were wed. Then I drove down Yeomans Lane for the first time in two years. The one exterior of the house has not changed much – new sash windows. And rear garden is cleared. I care not.
No neighbours were out and about
H had tried to escape from the Illis- again- fortunately, she was attached to their table tennis table with a long red training lead. This is becoming tedious! Fleur came in through the door and H decided it was time to go. Her pottiness is now extreme. And worrying.
It had been a very long day out and about. But a really super day. It was one of those days where no bit of me did not ache. I’ll leave you to work out the double negative. Cream crackered.
I think trailing around carrying beach items and all the very soft sand May have been responsible. Never mind being up a Clump at sunrise. But magical things had happened –
The views at sunrise
The pleasure of the sea swims
The enjoyment and fun Lena and Timur seemed to take out of the day
T coping – sort of
The negative:
T whinging about not having something to eat or drink to hand. Constantly. Incessantly. I clambered over soft sand (it’s uphill too) to satisfy his requirements. No sooner had I sat down and his cup was emptied. I could do with one of those cups that ’runneth over.’ The biblical one.
Since Chris beat WordPress into submission, I cannot fault its behaviour. Thank you.
Thought for the Day
Oh I do like to be bedside the seaside.
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