A minute or two after I left the house, I passed an elderly woman in a navy tracksuit. She had a curly early morning bob and was accompanied by a lovely white terrier (the sort you’d see on a dog food can). She smiled from under her mask and I waved enthusiastically at her. Then we parted ways.
Next, I stopped to take this photo.
Sometimes a spot you have passed hundreds of times before shows you something new and you wonder how on earth you missed it on previous days. This photo is such a spot.
The gardens are so pretty now that I wish I could venture into them to take a closer look. So many flowers, so many textures, so many colours to notice and explore!
When I got closer to the end of my street, I had to walk by the bird gang hangout. They screeched at me and then went back to their usual bickering and one-upping.
Four shiny ravens flew slowly overhead in a storybook formation. I could almost hear the sweeping of their wings.
I walked past the between houses park today, heading up to the next street to see what was in flower, instead.
I woman jogged past me on the other side of the street. She was wearing leggings, a high vis jacket, a baseball cap with a long braid trailing from it. She sported proper running sneakers indicating that she meant business and was not a morning dawdler like me. Respect.
As usual, under my mask my mouth was open like a landlocked goldfish’s. What is this open-mouthed mask wearing all about? Is it just me? Am I the only goldfish?
Further along the path a birdhouse hung from a tree. As I got closer I realised that it was missing one entire side , and I imagined it twirling on its rope during a storm, Wizard of Oz style. The wall eventually yielding to the elements, perhaps to the disappointment of local birds and bugs and small creatures. Perhaps not.
On the way home I passed a massive tree towering in the front yard over a newly-built house. I thought about the root system of that tree, reaching under the house, under the road, perhaps under much more of the neighbourhood than we’d possibly think.
I was wondering how many little creatures were making their home in the tree and the roots when a spider web lightly lassoed by forehead.
As I pushed on up the hill to home, I thought about those creatures and how clever spiders are.
Then I thought about hot tea. And crumpets too.
PS: Here is a tiny playlist I just made for you, too.
Goldfish, a birdhouse & crumpets
I was thinking about spiders the other day as I watched a tiny one go round and round and round and round repairing its web. I wondered if the energy used to fix the web could be saved by sitting still and not fixing the web therefore having little impact on the overall lifespan. My husband just walked away, he doesn't have the same thinking style as me 🤷. Walking into a web is the worst feeling, I immediately stress that I have a spider somewhere on my head.
I love magnolia trees, I've tried to grow one here but no luck.
Cheers Kate
Ooh love the playlist! Reminds me of when I got your Peachy one - it was Lockdown here and I played it as I baked. I’ve stopped doing that as often, must use my BT speaker more.