Sunshine

What a good night’s sleep in all its various places.

I didn’t really awake until around 05.00 and like always, I pondered what time to go swimming. I decided on a later time so that I could enjoy daylight driving. And there was nothing in the calendar requiring my attention.

I devoted some of the latter to morning puzzles but after silly mistakes, and then getting stuck, I decided to set them aside until later.

Although it was raining early in the morning, by the time I escaped outside, the sun was shining in a very welcoming way, and the sky was an unfamiliar colour. A shade of blue .

The drives to and from Didcot were really beautiful – it was so clear and so bright. Where there was lying water it dazzled and glittered in the sunlight. There was still flooding on some of the roads.

The pool was quiet at the start. There were two of us to begin with, in our lane, and we had a system going for us. Three more arrived and impeded our rhythm. I can never understand why slower swimmers are reluctant to give way to faster ones. Almost without fail, it is a man who is the reluctant one.

I ended up talking to a rather nice lady, originally from Wallingford, but who had lived in Benson for some time. She became a cater for her brother, who also went to Cholsey Daycare. And like me, she only had praise for the Centre and its staff. They are about to benefit from several hundred pounds donated in T’s name, instead of flowers. She organised the same in her brother’s name.

After an uplifting drive home. I did a few chores and was thinking about getting gH out when Ali rang, suggesting coffee at the Oxshed. We agreed to meet at 14.00.

This gave me time to walk H round Cholsey Meadows, away from the river, where there was still a lot of flooding. I discovered hitherto unknown tracks on the site of the former 1000 bed mental hospital. Now a sort of housing estate of conversions and new builds. And I even found a much enlarged pond.

H and I met up with Ali and Fleur whilst they enjoyed home made soup, baked bread treats and cake. I watched them, thinking about my half prepared salad and egg mayo.

And that was my treat when I arrived home. I managed not to fall asleep . For once.

Thought for the Day