Fraggle flowers

It rained a lot last night, but I was determined to get out and about. When I looked at the radar it didn’t seem too soggy, so I pulled on a hooded duffel coat (Vintage GAP, Plaid) and my (gross orange) sneakers and set off.

As always it took about half a walk – about 15 minutes – to feel the happy hum. Then the swirling cataloguing of thoughts and feelings subsided, and the world opened up.

I saw a woman wading across the paddock, through the increasingly longer grass. A boy in a Saint Kevin’s Rowing jersey jogged effortlessly in comparison.

I spotted a hole, dug by a dog or perhaps some creature of the night. A tiny insect scaling a wobbly, bending blade of grass. Flowers that look like Fraggles.

The sky seemed greyish, but on closer inspection was a soft violet tinged with oyster and the palest, prettiest blue. Not grey at all, really.

It was edged by a ribbon of trees and bushes. Bright green, dark green, shifting into an inky green and then a more faded shade.

The morning was so quiet and still and dewy. I felt tucked safely into the universe. Taking things slowly, a minute, a second, a breath at a time.

A patch of fluffy grass shivered as I passed and I was somehow reminded of sunny primary school days, of – inspired by Little House on the Prairie – urging my friends to ‘harvest the wheat’.

Listening for the sound of bumping wagon wheels, smoothing my apron (school uniform) and earnestly picking the tightly braided grass that edged the playground, then trying to unplait them (unsuccessfully!)

On the way home I passed a man with a curious Labrador. It kept looking over its shoulder at me as its owner led it away. I have ever noticed Labrador shoulders before, and I will be more observant in future.

A girl emerged from a house with some kind of peachy-curly-dog-a-doodle. She was wearing a parachute jacket and peach culottes to match her pup. Her hair was lockdown blonde with an excellent inch of regrowth. She was not wearing a mask. I tried to smile at her, but she was not having it/or distracted/or sleepy.

As I walked, I thought about walking a bit further next time. There’s a sort of pond not far from me. Do you think I should take you there?