Sunday 26 August 2018

Holding on to Summer


The long, hot, sunny days are behind us now, and predictably we are experiencing some mixed weather as we head into late summer. 
We've had the best time this year and I'm grateful to have had the chance to enjoy some wonderful days outside, enjoying the sunshine and fresh air with Lily.
Last week, rather spontaneously and most unlike me, I arranged for us to spend a few days away on the South coast. The weather here had turned much cooler, we didn't have any plans and the opportunity of being able to capture some extra summer sun was too good to miss.







So it was on Monday morning we found ourselves making the long journey south towards Kent, and I'm so glad we did. The weather was glorious, we spent a lot of our time at the beach, treated ourselves to fish and chips, enjoyed a bike ride and it also gave us  the chance to catch up with family we hadn't seen in a while. We visited the lovely little seaside towns of Whitstable and Herne Bay, walked along the shore to Reculver, and spent some time in Canterbury. (In future I must remember to check Lily hasn't sneakily put pebbles in the back pack after a day on the beach. I thought it seemed heavier than usual!) The shingle beaches took a bit of getting used to, but the fresh sea air was just the same.





Watching the sun set on our final evening, I realised that it had probably been the last week of warm sunny days, for us at least. Since our return home, there is an unmistakable change of the seasons in the air (we even drove through hail on our journey back!) and as I write this it is damp and grey outside. Next week will see a return to school and work, but before then I have name labels to sew into uniform and an earlier bedtime routine to establish.
J. X