Restorative

I didn't sleep well on Friday night. I'd had another busy week at work, and for one reason or another, my mind simply refused to switch off. I do have a lot going on in the background just now I suppose, and there's also Lily's SATs coming up this week, which even though I am not too concerned about, I am worried that she might be. On top of all of that, I am thinking about all the activities going on at school, between now and the end of term. July will be here before we know it, and a lot of changes lay ahead for us both. Then there's also the small matter of Lily's birthday, this month, but I think that's all in hand now.

Even after a restless night, I still managed to wake early. The promise of  glorious sunny day usually has that affect on me. And I quite like to walk out into the garden first thing in a morning, and check on the plants. I don't really know why, as it isn't as if they've grown suddenly overnight, but it's something I've always enjoyed doing. When I got home from work on Friday, I'd weeded the raised bed, thinned out the beetroot seedlings and cut the grass, so it felt rather satisfying to see the results of my hard work. 

The potatoes look to be growing quickly, so I'll need to remove their protective netting very soon. The beetroot seedlings are coming along nicely, but I'm unsure as to what happened to the carrots. After showing signs of life, they simply disappeared. Not to worry, I've used the empty space to plant some pumpkins instead. The apple trees continue to thrive, so they might need repotting later in the year. And the lemon trees have finally been moved outdoors, where they will stay until the weather turns cooler once again. I've pruned them, just a little, as the branches had become a little overcrowded. They still haven't flowered, but I'm hopeful that they might next year.

Another r reason I wanted an early start to my day, was so that we could go for a walk. I have been so focused on running recently, that my walking boots have been, sadly, neglected. Seeing as we've been out of practice, and with Lily's tennis lesson starting at one o'clock, I knew we couldn't be out for very long, so I chose an old favourite, Silver How. This was one of Lily's very first ever fell walks, and it isn't very high, but has some lovely views.

I hadn't  realised just how much I'd missed being up on the fells. While I'm running, my mind works overtime, going over things I need to do, shopping lists, work, the mental load of running a home. But when I'm out walking, I'm more concerned about what I can see, which fells I am looking at, and more often than not, which is the best route around the bog :)

The weather was gorgeous, yesterday. Not too warm, no chance of rain and barely a breath of wind. We took the lane out of Grasmere, then turned up a small, steep track which led away from the lake, and very soon onto the fell side. It was incredibly quiet, then all at once we heard a cuckoo. It's always a delightful sound, but especially as it's the first I've heard this year. 

We went the long way round towards the summit, avoiding the steep climb and enjoying a more gentle approach. For a long time it was as though we had the fell to ourselves, but we soon got chatting to a lovely lady, who arrived at the summit shortly after we did. We only passed a group of three fell runners on our way up, but as we headed back down towards the village, it was quite obvious that it would be getting much busier as the day went on.

We  took the slightly indirect route back into the village, just so that we could cross the stepping stones over Easedale Beck. Then, of course, no visit to Grasmere would be complete without a visit to the Gingerbread Shop. I bought a pack of six slices, and a bag of coffee. 

Today isn't going to be quite as enjoyable. Ì have a list of chores to work through, I need to do the weekly shop, then it's back to work again tomorrow.

At least the forecast is looking good again for next weekend. 

J. X

In and Out the Dusty Bluebells

 

Does anyone else have that song going through their heads whenever they see bluebells? I am reminded of the game, which usually started off well, but nearly always ended in chaos, as children got tangled up, beneath the 'arches'.

Since returning from London, last week, I've hardly stopped. On the Monday after the marathon, my train pulled in at the station at 12.35, then I began work for the afternoon at 1.15. Perhaps it wasn't the best approach to my recovery, but it was an unavoidable one. Thankfully, having kept moving, it meant that my legs didn't have the opportunity to seize up or feel too achy. But I did experience moments during the week when I would feel extremely tired, although that was understandable under the circumstances. I did say, 'Never again', and yet for some unknown reason, I found myself entering the ballot for next year's marathon :)

By the time the weekend arrived I felt depleted, but there were still the usual household chores that needed my attention and some coursework which needed to be submitted. Once this was finally out of the way, I was able to take a little time to recharge, with a walk to the bluebell woods. Having previously thinking that I might have missed my opportunity this year, it was such a delight to leave the main pathway and walk up the steep track to be greeted with the now familiar, yet still breath taking sight before me. Beneath the trees, was a carpet of blue, and the dappled sunlight only highlighted how beautiful they were. 

I love that Lily will still indulge me by tagging along for these walks. Even if these days it comes with a side order of eye rolling. She soon perked up, however, when we discovered a rope swing tied to one of the tree branches; thankfully there are some things we never grow tired of. We spent just over an hour in the woods, and we were lucky enough to have them all to ourselves. Not many people are aware of the bluebells there, as they are not very easy to see from the main footpath. 

I don't wish to speak too soon, but this week there has been a great improvement in the weather. The grass is finally beginning to dry out, after what has been an incredibly wet winter, and the garden is looking so much better for having seen several days of sunshine. The vegetable seeds are beginning to sprout and the lemon trees might even need to be re-potted again soon. They are growing fast. 

I've replaced the solar lights on the shed, and it has been lovely to see them from the kitchen window after sunset. Then, after I decided that some other lights, which I placed in the flower bed, were a waste of money, as they weren't working. I actually discovered an on/off switch, hidden away beneath the bulbs. I will now have to wait and see if they come on tonight :)

J. X